Nawaz Sharif calls for submitting reference against 3-member SC bench

LONDON: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has rejected the Supreme Court’s verdict nullifying the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone Punjab elections, calling for submitting a reference against the three-member SC bench, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference via video link, the former premier said that the verdict – nullifying the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone Punjab elections – was enough charge sheet to file reference against the SC three-member bench, which comprised of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.

Nawaz Sharif pointed out that the judges in the three-member bench were the same judges who disqualified him for life-time, questioning how the same judges would pronounce any verdict in favour of him.

He demanded that a reference should be filed against them in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for a ‘partisan judgment to facilitate one person’.

Commenting on the SC verdict, Nawaz Sharif said SC judges had re-written the Constitution in the past and no one feels any ashamed or pity on the decisions. “What was the hurdle behind forming no full court bench,” he asked.

The former prime minister added that those who violated the constitution were allowed to amend the constitution ‘as a reward’.

He alleged that former chief of army staff (COAS) Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and Faiz Hameed ousted him as prime minister, and “both of them led Pakistan on the path of destruction by bringing Imran Khan”.

“If such decisions are made, the dollar will further appreciate against rupees, while inflation will also increase,” he said, adding that Parliament has to resist if it has to survive.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) March 22 order on Punjab elections null and void.

A three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — announced the reserved verdict on the PTI’s petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order postponing the elections in Punjab and KP.

The Supreme Court declared the ECP’s order postponing the provincial assembly elections until October 8 as “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to release Rs21 billion funds for elections in Punjab by April 10.

The top court directed to conduct Punjab polls on May 14. The SC further directed the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission. “The court will issue an appropriate order in case of non-provision of funds,” the verdict read.

Reference against judges

Earlier on April 1, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government was considering filing a reference against three judges of Supreme Court (SC), including the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, who heard PTI’s petition against delay in elections of Punjab Assembly.

Speaking to an international media outlet, the interior minister said that the matter of the filing of a reference against three judges – CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar – “is under discussion but there has been no decision on it yet”.

Rana Sanaullah noted that a decision to file a reference could be taken since “these three respected judges have a long record of giving decisions against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)”.