Cabinet rejects Supreme Court verdict in elections delay case: sources

ISLAMABAD: Federal Cabinet on Tuesday rejected Supreme Court’s verdict on election, citing sources ARY News reported.

A 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’.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court today 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.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar after the Supreme Court’s decision in the election delay case, also said that it will further fuel constitutional and political crises in the country.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz also heavily criticised the Supreme Court verdict terming it against the Constitution and urged the cabinet and the lawmakers to bring these people (the judges) to justice.

وفاقی کابینہ کی جانب سے فیصلہ مسترد کر دینا کافی نہیں ہے۔ آئین اور قانون کی دھجیاں اڑا کر لاڈلے کو مسلط کرنے کی کوشش کرنے والوں کو کٹہرے میں کھڑا کرنا چاہیے۔

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 4, 2023

2018 میں جو کام فیض، کھوسہ اور ثاقب نثار نے انجام دیا تھا، وہ ذمہ داری اب اس بنچ نے اٹھا لی ہے۔ اس خوفناک اور ڈھٹائی سے کی گئی سہولت کاری اور ون مین شو کے خلاف سپریم کورٹ کی اکثریت نے بغاوت کر دی۔ وقت آ گیا ہے کہ پارلیمنٹ اس سہولت کاری کو اپنے آئینی اور قانونی ہاتھوں سے روک دے۔ https://t.co/8JOoBEez66

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 4, 2023

She was of the view that the three-member supreme court bench’s verdict is reminiscent of the 2018 verdict by former CJP Saqib Nisar wherein the judge sentenced Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz ahead of elections, which Maryam claims was to make way for Imran Khan to win the polls.

She termed the judges of the bench as “facilitators” of Imran Khan and urged the parliament to stop this “one-man show”, directly taking aim at Chief Justice Umar Atta Bindial.