Ruling coalition boycotts top court’s proceedings on CM Punjab poll

ISLAMABAD – The coalition allies of the PML-N government have announced to boycott proceedings of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a case against the election of Punjab chief minister.

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman made the announcement during a press conference on Monday night when coalition partners, including Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, were also present.

The coalition parties opted to boycott court’s proceeding after a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar rejected the government's request to form a full court bench to hear the pleas regarding election of the Chief Minister of Punjab.

The plea was filed by leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday night against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker’s ruling to reject PML-Q’s ten votes, cast in favour of Imran Khan’s candidate for chief minister election, for violating directives of party head, Chaudhry Shujat Hussain. Mazari had invoked rticle 63-A of the Constitution while rejecting the votes cast by PML-Q lawmakers.

During Monday’s hearing, the apex court initially rejected the coalition government's appeal regarding the formation of a full court bench to hear Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi's petition.

Announcing the judgment, the top court asked for more arguments and legal clarity regarding the coalition government's plea for formation of a full bench.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the court need more clarity to decide about the formation of full court.

CJP Bandial maintained that a full court had been formed in the past in a matter of utmost importance and added that the full bench could be formed in complex issues.