The Federal Government on Friday made a passionate appeal to the Supreme Court to form a full court bench to hear a case regarding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for averting any constitutional crisis in the country.
Talking to the media outside the apex court, the senior ministers said rhe proceedings of the case regarding the polls’ delay started with a nine-member bench, whose strength had now been relegated to three judges only.
Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah stressed that it was imperative for the chief justice to ensure that justice was served.
He urged him to constitute a full bench in the case, saying that failure to do so would result in the country falling into a state of “chaos and anarchy”.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum said the Pakistan Democratic Movement member parties had already called for the constitution of a full bench for the case as the three-member bench had become “controversial”. There was an impression that the three-member bench had lost its credibility, she added.
Referring to the circular issued by the SC registrar, she said it was the “decision of one person”.
She said Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, who had recused himself from hearing the sou moto case regarding the polls delay, should not be part of the bench hearing the contempt case.
The minister said Imran Khan was running away from the elections. Democratic parties would contest the election and field their candidates after the completion of the constitutional terms of the assemblies, and then Imran Khan would be voted out of politics by the people, she added.
To a question, she said anyone involved in unconstitutional actions must be brought to book irrespective of his status so that deterrence for the future could be established and all institutions should remain in their ambit.
She said Imran Khan had violated the Constitution by illegally dissolving the National Assembly to avoid the no-confidence motion. It was now upto the Supreme Court to intervene and interpret the Constitution, she added.
Holding elections was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan for which a conducive environment and budget were needed, the minister said while responding to another query.
