The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the federal coalition and PTI to sit together and develop a consensus on the date for elections in the country by 4pm, but at the same time asserted that it would not go back on its order fixing May 14 as the date for elections to the Punjab Assembly.
\nChief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial stated that there could be no obstinacy in negotiations and they could be successful through bilateral dialogues.
\nHe requested that leaders of all political parties sit today and negotiate, rather than after Eid. He furthered that after Eidul Adha in July, elections could be held.
\nA three-judge bench headed by Justice Bandial and comprised of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the case.
\nA day earlier, the bench had issued notices to all majority political parties over a constitutional petition for holding elections of all provincial and national assemblies on the same date.
\nThe petition, filed by Sardar Kashif Khan who is a permanent citizen of Abbottabad, has engaged Shah Khawar as his counsel.
\nThe counsel for the petitioner said there is a need for political dialogue for ending the impasse on the issue of holding general elections for Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) assemblies.
\nShortly after the hearing commenced today, the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan requested a 15-minute break so that the court could bring in more seating to facilitate \u201cpolitical leaders\u201d.
\nWhen the hearing resumed, the petitioner\u2019s counsel took to the rostrum and stated that the leadership of many political parties was present in the court. He added that it would be appropriate for the court to hear all the leaders.
\nThe lawyer continued that holding elections on the same date was \u201cnecessary\u201d for the strength of democracy.
\nChief Justice Bandial expressed his gratitude to the political leaders for coming to the apex court.
\n\u201cThere is anxiety within the nation [regarding elections], and there will be peace if the political leadership solves the problem,\u201d he remarked, adding that complications would arise if the court gave orders instead.
\nThe CJP maintained that it would be \u201ca blessing\u201d if the political leaders resolved the issue through \u201cunderstanding\u201d.
\nHe continued that the Ministry of Defense has also requested that the elections be held on the same day across the country, and the petitioner had requested that as well. The CJP said that the AGP had raised a similar point but it was lost amid politics.
\nReferring to the news on the break in the impasse between the ruling coalition and the opposition, the CJP maintained that \u201caccording to the news, the Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] appreciates the dialogue and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N] also appreciated the proposal of negotiations\u201d.
\nFarooq Naik appeared before the top court on behalf of the PPP and stated that Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Tariq Bashir Cheema were also in attendance.
\nHe highlighted that the ruling political alliance was of the common opinion that the time for elections in 90 days had passed, and the court had extended the date twice.
\n\u201cPolitical parties have already started working together for elections. Bilawal Bhutto also met Maulana Fazlur Rahman in this regard,\u201d he said, adding that the political dialogue within the government coalition would be completed immediately after Eid.
\nHe furthered that talks would be held with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) again to end the tensions.
\n\u201cOur effort will be to create a political consensus through these dialogues. Elections should be held on a single day as soon as possible,\u201d he said.
\nNaek maintained that elections should be held by caretaker governments across the country and political issues should be settled between the parties. He added that \u201cno institution should interfere in political matters\u201d.
\nPML-N\u2019s Khawaja Saad Rafique appeared on the rostrum and affirmed, after consultation with his party\u2019s leadership, that elections should be held simultaneously across Pakistan.
\nHe stated that the PML-N was \u201cfully ready for negotiations on elections\u201d and a meeting of party leaders was called after Eid.
\n\u201cInstead of wasting the time of state institutions, politicians should talk among themselves,\u201d he said.
\nAyaz Sadiq appeared on the behalf of the Baloch National Party (BNP) and stated that were in touch with the PTI in a personal capacity and would continue to do so in the future.
\nTariq Bashir Cheema stated that he was asked by Chaudhry Shujaat to be at the hearing. Cheema also said that elections should be held on the same date, adding that doing so would \u201cend differences\u201d.
\nHe informed the court that it may be criticised if it decided in favour of simultaneous elections but if the politicians did it, it \u201cwould be better for everyone\u201d. He added that the joint decision of the political leaders will be accepted by the nation.
\nBNP Awami leader Mohammad Asrarullah Tareen also agreed with same-day elections and urged political dialogue.
\nPTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi came to the rostrum and stated that he had \u201chashed out\u201d the party\u2019s point of view.
\n\u201cThe constitution is clear about conducting elections within 90 days. I am subject to the Constitution, not to anyone’s wish,\u201d he said.
\nHe continued that the SC gave a decision regarding the elections but obstacles were erected in the execution of the court decision. He maintained that the court showed tolerance and restraint and protected the Constitution.
\nQureshi stated that the PTI had come forward instead of being bitter and that political forces had to pull the country out of the quagmire.
\n\u201cElections are the constitutional and democratic way. People are the source of power, there should be elections,\u201d he said.
\nHe added that while the PTI never backed down from negotiations, the negotiations could not be above the Constitution.
\nRegarding the non-disbursement of funds for the election despite SC orders, Qureshi said that the Parliament’s resolution could not be above the Constitution.
\n\u201cOn behalf of Imran Khan, we will try to find a way out,\u201d he said, adding that a solution would be found if \u201cproper\u201d suggestions were given.
\nReturning to the rostrum, Rafique said that the court shouldn\u2019t be made into a \u201cdebate club\u201d and if the political parties could meet they could conduct a dialogue.
\n\u201cWe are not convinced to stay even one day beyond the period stipulated in the Constitution,\u201d he said.
\nAwami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rasheed came to the rostrum and stated that the nation saluted judicial decisions.
\nHe maintained that the decision of the court would be the decision of the entire nation.
\nRashid stated that he was not opposed to negotiations but the negotiations should be meaningful. He highlighted that a \u201crespected personality had boycotted the hearing today\u201d.
\nJamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Siraj-ul-Haq took to the rostrum and urged negotiation, adding that it was not an option but rather God\u2019s command.
\n\u201cThe Constitution came into existence on the basis of consensus, and even today the Constitution can save the country. Protecting the Constitution is protecting the country,\u201d he said.
\nSiraj maintained that politicians should \u201cfix their own house\u201d.
\nHe continued that Pakistan was not created by any army general but was the result of a democratic struggle, adding that the country would not have sunk if there had been no dictatorship.
\nHe maintained that the JI was not with the PDM, nor with the PTI and that he had met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Imran Khan. He added that elections were the only solution to the nation’s problems and there was no other way.
\n\u201cElections cannot be held on the basis of one’s personal wish,\u201d he said.
\nSiraj stated that his position was that the judiciary, the armed forces and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should stay away from politics.
\nHe added the reason for the problems was that the judiciary, the establishment and the ECP were no longer apolitical.
\nHe maintained that it would be appropriate to hold an election on a suitable date after Eidul Adha and the court should leave this matter to the politicians.
\nImran Khan’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja appeared in court and stated that there was a risk of an operation against the PTI chief at Zaman Park during the Eid holidays.
\nThe chief justice, however, stated that the concerned court was approached by the PTI and the high court would soon announce its order.
\nThe chief justice remarked that there was a suggestion that the court should terminate the proceedings, and added that all political leaders had today reiterated their adherence to the Constitution.
\n\u201cIf we don’t follow the Constitution, there will be many twists and turns,\u201d he said.
\nHe continued that Article 254 of the Constitution had never been interpreted and under it, the date should not be extended, therefore it was not interpreted.
\n\u201cThe Election Commission made a wrong decision on which the court issued an order. The election date in Punjab is May 14,\u201d he maintained.
\nBandial stated that the court was bound by the Constitution and the law.
\nHe highlighted that Siraj-ul-Haq, the PML-N and the PPP had attempted negotiations and later the PTI also talked about elections being held simultaneously.
\n\u201cIt should be remembered that there is a judicial decision in place. I am sure that no member of the assembly wants to go against the court decision,\u201d he said, adding that during today\u2019s hearing, no political leader gave a wrong decision.
\nThe CJP said that there could be no obstinacy in negotiations and that negotiations could be successful through bilateral talks.
\nHe requested that the leaders of political parties sit today and negotiate, rather than after Eid. He furthered that after Eid in July, elections could be held.
\nThe hearing was then adjourned till 4 pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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