ISLAMABAD – The coalition allies of the PML-N government have announced toboycott proceedings of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a case against theelection of Punjab chief minister.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman made theannouncement during a press conference on Monday night when coalitionpartners, including Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, were alsopresent.
The coalition parties opted to boycott court’s proceeding after athree-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, JusticeIjazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar rejected the government’s request toform a full court bench to hear the pleas regarding election of the ChiefMinister of Punjab.
The plea was filed by leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday night againstPunjab Assembly Deputy Speaker’s ruling to reject PML-Q’s ten votes, castin favour of Imran Khan’s candidate for chief minister election, forviolating directives of party head, Chaudhry Shujat Hussain. Mazari hadinvoked rticle 63-A of the Constitution while rejecting the votes cast byPML-Q lawmakers.
During Monday’s hearing, the apex court initially rejected the coalitiongovernment’s appeal regarding the formation of a full court bench to hearPunjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi’s petition.
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Announcing the judgment, the top court asked for more arguments and legalclarity regarding the coalition government’s plea for formation of a fullbench.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the courtneed more clarity to decide about the formation of full court.
CJP Bandial maintained that a full court had been formed in the past in amatter of utmost importance and added that the full bench could be formedin complex issues.
