Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN)0 supremo Nawaz Sharif criticised Supreme Court’s top judge Umar Ata Bandial decision that overturned the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision to postpone the Punjab Assembly polls till October 8.

The three-member bench of apex court ordered ECP to hold elections in Punjab on May 14 and directed finance and defence ministers to ensure budget and security reports for the elections.

Nawaz Sharif tweeted and said courts take nations out of crises and not push them into crises. Nawaz Sharif said Chief Justice imposed a minority opinion on the majority decision by not knowing what authority he used. Instead, resign immediately.

Earlier, speaking from London on Thursday, Nawaz Sharif said SC three member bench that suspended the ECP decision to postpone the elections, is enough charge sheet, to file reference against them. Former prime minister for three time said Justice Ejaz ul Ahsan and Justice Umar Ata Bandial were the same judges who disqualified him for life-time, then same judges would pronounce any verdict in favour of him.

Commenting on the SC verdict that suspended the ECP decision to postpone the Nawaz Sharif said three-member judge, Nawaz Sharif said SC judges re-write 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,” PMLN supremo asked. ‘A man is known by the company he keeps’ Nawaz Sharif said a man known by his company. He said if you try to protect such ‘corrupt’ judges like Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, then there would be no sanctity of the judiciary. He urged Pakistani nation to wake up.

In a press conference, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said: “Chief justice has now become controversial. Therefore, the chief justice should resign.” The information minister said that when the court’s proceedings become controversial and even the judges of the top court refused to accept the judgement – then how will the people accept the verdict.

“Justice Minallah neither separated nor rescued himself from the bench,” Marriyum said citing the judge. “It is not a matter of elections but an issue of “bench fixing”, she added. “Justice Minallah note is a question mark,” she also said.

Without naming PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the info minister said that it was not acceptable for them when a Constitution breacher is facilitated by the judiciary.

Berating the judiciary, Marriyum said that PTI leader Asad Umar was heard by the court but it refused to listen to the 13 other political parties.

Referring to the SC’s verdict on elections in Punjab, she said: “You are interfering in the powers [jurisdiction] of parliament.”

She added that parliament will decide about the elections, not Imran Khan.

Article 63-A(1)(b) of the Constitution was rewritten to facilitate ‘ladla’ [Khan], the minister said, adding, “Controversial judges were included in the three-member bench.” She said that no political party ever evades elections, but the polls should be held on the completion of constitutional tenure of the assemblies and at the same time across the country and should not be susceptible to the whims of any individual.