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ISLAMABAD: The coalition government on Tuesday lashed out at the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) for declaring the Punjab Deputy Speaker’s ruling in CM Punjab election unconstitutional. PML-N’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif has termed the court decision as ‘judicial coup’.
The Supreme Court declared Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab Chief Minister’s election “illegal” and ruled that PTI’s candidate Pervez Elahi will be the new CM of the province.
“Judicial coup,” PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said in a tweet, who had hours before the verdict asked the government to take a firm stand on the matter.
JUDICIAL COUP.
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 26, 2022
She also termed the decision “the murder of justice.”
انصاف کا قتل نا منظور! pic.twitter.com/uFHgeDMroX
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 26, 2022
She added, “Leaders are made by the situations they are confronted with.”
PML-N supremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took to his Twitter to “salute the three judges”, who heard the case.
پاکستان کو ایک تماشہ بنا دیا گیا ہے۔ تینوں جج صاحبان کو سلام
— Nawaz Sharif (@NawazSharifMNS) July 26, 2022
“[Order] has made a mockery of Pakistan,” he wrote.
In a press conference, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said it was “clear” a day earlier that this decision will be announced today.
“This decision is tantamount to judicial coup […] and this will lead to further anarchy and divide the nation. More than half of the people of Pakistan do not accept this,” Aurangzeb said.
The information minister said that the majority of political parties demanded a full court to hear the case as this bench “is considered a biased bench”.
Aurangzeb added that the petition filed for a full court to hear the case had already shown that it had “no confidence in the current bench” and today’s decision shows that the decision to file the plea was right.
Separately, in a bid to curtail the powers of the top court, PPP’s ex-senator Farhatullah Babar encouraged parliamentarians to refer to Article 191 of the Constitution and act decisively if “they care about restoring balance of powers.”
Parliamentarians/ PDM , if you really care about restoring balance of powers then read Art 191 and act decisively. Or stop grumbling. pic.twitter.com/3mTyIRjr3L
— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) July 26, 2022
In a tweet on Tuesday, Babar shared a picture of Article 191 of the Constitution, that refers to the Rules of Procedure, and states that “Subject to the Constitution and law, the Supreme Court may make rules regulating the practice and procedure of the court.”
Within a few minutes of his tweet, Foreign Minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also retweeted it in an apparent show of support.
In his tweet, Labour Minister Sindh and PPP leader Saeed Ghani said he was amazed that the top court instructed either the governor or the president to administer the oath to Elahi.
کیا بات جناب اگر گورنر حلف نہ لے تو صدر مملکت حلف لے لیکن لینا آج ہی ہے واہ واہ 👏👏
کچھ کہیں گے تو جنابوں کی توہین ہو جائیگی— Senator Saeed Ghani (@SaeedGhani1) July 26, 2022
“If we say something, then they will hold us in contempt,” Ghani said.