PTI declares SC verdict a victory of Constitution
ISLAMABAD: Leaders of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf termed the decision of the Supreme Court a victory of the Constitution.
Talking to media on Wednesday, PTI leaders welcomed the verdict of the apex court.
Fawad Chaudhry said, “The verdict will enable PTI to get majority seats in Punjab and KP to form its governments once again.”
Other senior leaders of PTI also termed the apex court decision a victory for the constitution and PTI as well.
They said that the Supreme Court upheld the Constitution and gave order to hold elections in Punjab and KP within 90 days from the day the assemblies were dissolved.
Furthermore, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid also welcomed the decision of the apex court.
The PTI and AML leaders said that now it was binding for the federal government to hold polls in Punjab and KP in 90 days.
Sheikh Rashid also congratulated the nation and urged the people to “prepare for the elections”.
Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial said that elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be held within 90 days from the dissolution of assemblies.
The CJP announced the verdict on Wednesday morning in suo motu case on delay in polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Out of five-member bench of the apex court, three judges supported elections within 90 days while two judges gave a different viewpoint. Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Jamal Mandokhel differed with the decision of the apex court.
The bench reserved its decision on Tuesday after hearing arguments from the counsels of all the stakeholders. The court, therefore, decided to announce its verdict on Wednesday around 11 am.
The court stated that the KP Assembly had been dissolved after the governor signed the summary, while the Punjab Assembly had dissolved on its own after 48 hours as the governor did not sign the summary.
The top court ruled that the Constitution gives powers to the governor on three conditions, under which he can dissolve the assembly under Article 112 or on the advice of the chief minister.
Article 222 says that the election was a subject for the Centre, it added.
The court further stated that the Election Act 2017 gives the governor and the president the power to announce a date for the polls.
“If the governor has dissolved the assembly, then he would announce the date,” CJP Bandial said.
The court stated that in case the governor does not dissolve the assembly, the president then has the power to dissolve the assembly under Section 57 and announce the date of election.
However, the court stressed that the governor had the constitutional responsibility of announcing the date.
The court directed President Arif Alvi to announce the date of the Punjab election after consulting with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and directed the KP governor to announce the date for polls in his province.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the chief justice asked the lawyers of political parties to give a date after consulting the leaders. However, neither PML-N nor PPP counsels gave any date arguing that political parties need more time for consultation on this issue.
Farooq H. Naik, counsel for the PDM, told the court that the leaders of the PDM are of the opinion that the political parties are not supposed to give a date for elections.
Consequently, the chief justice reserved the verdict and adjourned the hearing saying that the court will announce a decision on Wednesday morning.
