The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday unanimously rejected the decision of the Supreme Court’s three-member bench on the polls’ delay case in Punjab saying the verdict is not “enforceable”.
The verdict was rejected by almost all the members of cabinet in a meeting which was presided over Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Earlier in the day, the apex court bench which was headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order regarding delay in polls in Punjab “unconstitutional” and fixed May 14 as new date for the election in the province.
However, Chief Organizer of the ruling party (PML-N) believed that it was not enough for the cabinet to simply reject the decision. “Those who have tried to impose the Ladla (blue-eyed) by shredding the law and constitution into pieces should be brought under the law.”
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
“Today’s decision is the last attack of the conspiracy which was initiated by presenting Punjab government to the blue-eyed of the bench on place,” she said while equating it to “rewriting of constitution”.
She alleged that the bench provided an opportunity to Imran Khan to dissolve the government so that he could be “selected again under presence and supervision” of his facilitators.”
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
Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar also held a news conference and took exception to the decision which, according to him, should have been taken by using collective wisdom.
He said the verdict would further aggravate the political situation.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also believed that the separate election would create chaos and anarchy. Therefore, the election should be held simultaneously.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said the verdict given by the three-member bench of the Supreme Court was contrary to the judgments of its majority judges.
“It is an ‘impractical order’ which will further deepen political and constitutional crises,” she said in a series of tweets.
The minister said the time and money of the nation would have been saved “if the ‘blue-eyed and impressionist’ (Imran Khan) were directly given control of the Prime Minister’s House.”
She said the decision given in the case “which was rejected by the senior judges is ‘unconstitutional’”.
Marriyum said constitutional matters should not be made issues of ego as, otherwise, it would be detrimental to the country.
She said the people were paying the price for a decision which had disqualified the thrice-elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017 and caused perpetual economic, political and constitutional crises.
“The facilitation of Imran Khan is not acceptable,” she added.
بہتر ہوتا لاڈلے بہروپیے کو شیروانی پہنا کروزیراعظم ہاؤس میں بٹھا دیتے۔قوم کاوقت اور پیسہ بچ جاتے۔اکثریتی ججوں کے مسترد کردہ مقدمے میں فیصلہ غیر آئینی ہے. آئین پر انا کاحاوی ہونا ملک کے لئے مہلک ثابت ہوتا ہے. ناقابل عمل حکم سے سیاسی و آئینی بحران مزید گہرا ہو گا
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) April 4, 2023
