ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will announce tomorrow (Wednesday) its verdict in suo motu case regarding delay in the announcement of the date of provincial assemblies’ elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
A five-member larger bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial concluded the two-day long proceedings in the case on Tuesday.
The CJP said that the verdict of the case would be announced on Wednesday (tomorrow) before 11am.
“The court proceedings should continue as more time is needed for consultations,” he told the court.
Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) sought more time for consultation after the Supreme Court gave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the coalition government until 4 pm to sit together and come up with election dates in both provinces.
“Even if we take a decision [on the matter], the litigation will continue and this will be very costly for the public and political parties,” Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial remarked as he passed the directives to the lawyers to speak to respective party heads.
However, when the hearing resumed after 4 pm, the lawyer for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stated that there was consultation among the allied parties of the incumbent government, but they required more time. He added that it would be appropriate for the court to proceed with the case.
During today’s hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Barrister Shehzad Ata Elahi, Supreme Court Bar Association President Abid Zuberi, JUI-F lawyer Kamran Murtaza, PPP lawyer Farooq H. Naek and President Arif Alvi’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja were present in court.
Justice Muneeb questioned who would advise the president if the Assembly completed its terms. He stated that in case the assembly completed its term, elections must be held in two months.
According to the judge, the president could return the advice summary and, in that case, 25 days would have been wasted.
The chief justice stated that elections within 90 days were necessary due to the current situation in the country. He furthered that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) took two weeks to give a notice, while a case was still pending before the Lahore High Court (LHC).
Justice Bandial continued that today was the second consecutive day in the Supreme Court and the case was almost over. He stated that the apex court is not supporting any political party but the Constitution.
