F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday asserted that some judges want to provide relief to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
The PDM president made these remarks while addressing a press conference following the meeting of coalition parties, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the country’s overall political situation. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the ruling alliance has no trust in the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial — hearing the PTI’s petition against the delay in elections of Punjab Assembly.
“PDM doesn’t trust the bench comprising these three judges,” asserted the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), adding that the suo-motu status of the case has already been jeopardised by refusal of some judges to hear it but the chief justice was bent upon hearing this case. Maulana Fazl added that the chief justice and the other two judges should morally recuse themselves from this case, alleging that a few judges want to provide relief to PTI Chairman.
He further alleged that two major culprits of rigging were on the loose and no notice was being taken against them. He also demanded that elections should take place on the same day across the country to take place to keep the country united.
Meanwhile, the coalition parties – in a statement – expressed lack of confidence in three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan hearing a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition against the delay in elections of the Punjab Assembly. The coalition parties expressed lack of confidence in the Supreme Court bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.
The meeting was summoned after the Supreme Court rejected the ruling alliance’s plea for a full court bench in the election delay case. The apex court itself witnessed high drama, with two judges recusing themselves from the remaining three-member bench. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail withdrew from the bench a day after Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan rescued himself from hearing the case.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government decided to boycott the three-judge Supreme Court bench hearing the election delay case after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif put his weight behind the new line of action agreed by the ruling alliance.
The leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the ruling coalition, met today with PM Shehbaz in the chair in Lahore. According to media sources, the former prime minister pitched the strategy during the meeting convened at the PM’s residence in Model Town to deliberate ways to create counterweights for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) mounting legal pressure on the government.
Sources said the PDM leadership also seconded the advice to boycott the bench, which was ratified by Nawaz, who reiterated that there was no other option left to control the damage than boycotting the bench. Nawaz was also quoted as saying that the non-formation of a full court bench against the justified demand of the government was indicative of a certain agenda.
Sharif also spoke out against the decision to disqualify him as the prime minister, stating that it hurt the future of the country. He lamented the fact that Pakistan was forced into debt and dependence on foreign aid. Sharif demanded answers from those responsible for his disqualification, stating that the decision was made for the sake of one person.
The government said it is economically not viable to hold the snap elections first and then have another general election this year. The Supreme Court earlier this month ordered the snap polls to be held in the two provinces within 90 days of the dissolution of the two local governments, which falls by April 30.
