ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial warned that if talks between the administration and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fall through, the Supreme Court will enact its decision to hold elections in Punjab on May 14 using the Constitution.
The warning was issued as CJP Bandial resumed hearing a petition that called for nationwide synchronized elections. Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan were also members of the three-person bench.
Elections in Punjab will take place in October, but the PTI petition questioned the ECP’s decision. Sardar Kashif Khan, a citizen, also petitioned for nationwide elections to take place on that day.
On April 27, the Supreme Court upheld its order from April 4 regarding Punjab Assembly elections while directing the government and PTI to engage in negotiations.
Mansoor Usman Awan, Pakistan’s attorney general, gave the court an update on the government’s stance regarding negotiations with the PTI. Farooq H Naek, a lawyer for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), briefed the court on the negotiations.
Five rounds of negotiations between PTI and the ruling alliance were reported by Naek. Despite the ruling alliance’s August agreement to dissolve the National Assembly, he claimed that more time was required for talks.
Chief Justice Bandial questioned the government’s response and questioned why the government placed so much emphasis on the IMF agreement and trade policy.
According to Naek, if the assemblies were dissolved, the budget wouldn’t be approved and the IMF loan was required for it. He insisted that the best course of action was to understand the problem and find a solution.
The court will use the constitution to ensure that its order is followed and elections are held on May 14 if negotiations fail, Chief Justice Bandial warned. Regarding allegations of violating the Constitution, he defended the Supreme Court’s position in the case.
