SC verdict: PM Shehbaz Sharif summons meeting of ruling partners

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to chair a meeting of the parliamentary leaders of the coalition parties in Islamabad today (Wednesday), ARY News reported.

The parliamentary leaders’ meeting will be held at Prime Minister’s Office where ruling coalition parties will mull over a future strategy following Tuesday’s Supreme Court verdict that set May 14 as the date for elections in Punjab, say sources.

The coalition parties will also mull over a strategy to highlight the government’s stance in the parliament, they say.

Separately, an important meeting of the PPP Punjab chapter has been scheduled for 2pm today (Wednesday). The meeting will be chaired by PPP leader Faryal Talpur.

It is expected to be attended by party leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Rana Farooq and Hasan Murtaza.

‘SC verdict non implementable’

The meeting will review the party’s preparations for elections in Punjab.

Yesterday, the federal cabinet rejected Supreme Court’s verdict on elections. The federal cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a session, considered the decision of the apex court for holding elections in Punjab. The cabinet declared the court’s decision as a ‘minority verdict’ and ‘non implementable’.

SC verdict

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

READ: ECP SUMMONS ‘CONSULTATIVE’ MEETING AFTER SC’S PUNJAB POLL VERDICT

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.