PM Shehbaz, Zardari, Bilawal discuss political situation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the political situation.

The prime minister received the two leaders. During the meeting, the leaders discussed in detail the prevailing political situation in the country.

They held consultation on the recent decision of the Supreme Court (SC) on the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

In another development today, the ruling coalition rejected the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision, barring the implementation of Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, which aims to curtail the suo motu powers of office of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

The decision was taken during a meeting of leaders of ruling coalition, which came hours after the apex court barred the government from implementing Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023.

The meeting – chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif – was attended by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other federal ministers.

In a statement, the ruling coalition said the implementation of bill, which has not yet come to affect, has been barred by constituting a “unilateral bench”.

While condemning the Supreme Court’s orders, the meeting termed the decision “a result of one-man show”. “The written judgement is the clearest example of conflict of interest”, it added.

The statement noted that a strategy will be chalked out to “bring balance to justice system”, adding that they will protect the Parliament and its constitutional authority.