ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the government urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to “review” the March 1 order. Order was on holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. He stressed that split polls would worsen political turmoil and cause confusion.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah made the plea during a policy address at a joint sitting of parliament. Hours before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officially postponed the Punjab elections on April 30.
The minister cited instances when elections delayed beyond the constitutionally mandated 90 days. He asked the judiciary to improve its public image in the wake of controversial audio leaks. Said audios purportedly showing serving and retired judges discussing corruption cases and administrative matters.
Elections delayed in the past
The interior minister noted that floods delayed the 1988 elections by five to six months. The 2008 general elections postponed after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.
The five-judge Supreme Court bench ordered Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly elections within 90 days on March 1. It had permitted the ECP to recommend a poll date deviating from the 90-day threshold by the “barest minimum” in case of practical difficulties.
The minister used the one-sided proceedings to accuse Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan of trying to create “political and administrative chaos” in the country.
The minister accused the cricketer-turned-politician of intending “bloodshed” to achieve his political objectives. He cited previous PTI-police skirmishes in Lahore and Islamabad.
Crisis
After the minister’s nearly hour-long speech, lawmakers from the ruling coalition and opposition expressed their serious concerns over the country’s political and economic crises. They urged the government to respond positively to Imran Khan. They said Khan had reportedly shown his willingness to sit with his rivals for “greater national consensus”.
The parliamentarians carried posters with slogans against former chief judge Saqib Nisar. The members shouted “shame, shame” when the interior minister addressed the former chief justice.
Afterward, The interior minister and other ministers left the residence for an emergency federal cabinet meeting after the address.
The minister called it “principally wrong” that the coalition administration was “avoiding” elections.
Will not disrespect judiciary.
Moreover, Rana Sanaullah told parliament that the government would not disrespect the Supreme Court. He added that the PML-N had received 1,100 applications with an Rs100,000 fee from aspiring candidates.
“We can’t reject your order […] but is it only parliament and political parties’ responsibility to ensure free and fair elections? If we think such an election will cause chaos. Is this opinion unimportant? said.
The minister said the government only wanted polls to be held in accordance with the Constitution under a caretaker setup for political and economic stability instead of “creating a new crisis,” arguing that whichever political party took power in Punjab would “reduce the level playing field” for other parties in the general elections for the National Assembly.
Will Punjab not rule the federal government? “Will that government or party—whether us or someone else—not gain an advantage, and won’t the basic constitutional requirement of a free and fair caretaker setup not be violated?” he said.
Audio-Video Tapes
Sanaullah also discussed the CJP’s reported remarks earlier in the day, in which he warned that the highest court would intervene if there was any ill purpose in holding “transparent elections” and that the audio leaks were part of the campaign against judiciary.
He claimed that people protesting today’s audio leaks had previously leaked retired Justice Javed Iqbal’s videos and audios to blackmail him.
After the lawyers’ bodies filed a reference against a sitting Supreme Court judge after the release of an alleged audio tape, the minister asked the CJP to hear and decide the case within days, recalling that the court had previously heard a reference against another sitting judge, Qazi Faiz Isa and his family. He asked why the justices ruled the truth should be told then but not now. He stated the accusers of the judges should be punished if the audio leaks were false.
Political Crisis
The interior minister then accused Imran Khan of causing a “political, administrative, and judicial crisis” in the country. The minister called Mr. Khan a Fitna (mischief) and accused the PTI of attacking law enforcement officials at Zaman Park in Lahore and outside the Federal Judicial College in Islamabad, injuring several security officers.
He informed the home that 316 people detained for burning and disturbances and would be tried for terrorism.
Senator Tahir Bizenjo of the National Party (NP) took the floor and asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to call Imran Khan for negotiations after the latter declared his desire to meet with the parties.
Afterward, Ghaus Bux Mahar of the opposition Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) asked Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to help politicians negotiate future elections. Mr. Mahar criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for missing the joint sitting.
Campaign against state institutions
Moreover, Aslam Bhootani, an independent MNA from Gwadar, expressed his concerns over the ongoing campaign against state institutions, including the army and judiciary, and asked the government to withdraw the previous PTI government’s “curative petition” against the Supreme Court’s reference against Justice Qazi Faiz Isa. He suggested that the government withdraw the petition as a “goodwill gesture” since Justice Isa will become the next chief justice.
