By Sardar Khan Niazi
The PDM government has shown complete distrust in the three-member bench of the SC comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial Bandial, Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar hearing the Pakistan PTI’s petition against the postponement of elections in Punjab.
A high-level meeting of the PDM parties, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held to discuss the overall political situation of the country took this decision. The meeting took place after the Supreme Court rejected the ruling alliance’s plea for a full court bench in the election delay case.
In this regard, the coalition government senior leaders sat together to discuss the current crisis and discussed various ways and means to deal with the deadlock between the ruling PDM alliance and the judiciary. The goal of the meeting was to devise a future strategy for the government.
The country cannot afford to continue to tread on the path of the current political confrontation between the PTI and PDM. These are worrying symbols not only for the nourishment of democratic dispensation in the country but maintenance of the legal and constitutional system of governance.
These signs add to the teething troubles of the public, already confronted with the numerous diseases of rising incidents of terrorism, militancy, increase in street crime, failure of the economic and financial system, and escalating inflation.
Facing the troubles and distress of joblessness, undernourishment, and illness, they perceive a depressing future for themselves and their future generations. On the contrary, the governing class lacks the feelings to sympathize with them. The political class, whether in power or in opposition, working in the executive organs, has regularly upset the people with a few exceptions.
Their recurring reciprocal quarreling, mishandling, and misapplication of influence, and authority, a clumsy system of governance, and dominance of considerable corruption, have brought indescribable unhappiness and misery to the ill-fated people.
A three-member bench is currently hearing the PTI’s plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP’s) decision to postpone elections to the Punjab Assembly until October 8.
The constitutional crisis in Pakistan seems to have deepened as the allied parties of the coalition government in the Centre, led by PML-N, have hinted that they will not accept the decision of the three-member Supreme Court bench. The federal coalition is unanimous on one point that there will be no elections in Punjab and KP separately despite the apex court’s order.
During court proceedings, the CJP had urged the government and the opposition to lower the political temperature and engage in dialogue. However, the PDM allied parties have declared that there will be no talks with PTI chief Imran Khan on a date for elections and have pledged to take the fight to any level, refusing to budge from its stated position on the issue that no elections will take place before October 2023.
But according to reports, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is more critical of the apex court and has suggested a boycott of the three-member bench and alluded to the possibility of moving a reference against Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and two other members of the bench.
Moreover, talking to the Independent Urdu, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has confirmed that the likelihood of filing a reference against the three judges came under discussion at the meeting, but a final decision is yet to be taken.
Under the circumstances, all eyes are on the third pillar of the State, namely, the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. One can only hope that the SC will rescue the democratic dispensation and constitutional system of power, essential for good governance, rule of law, and the defense of fundamental rights.
