ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday give more time to the political parties to develop consensus on holding of elections in the country as it adjourned the hearing of a petition seeking polls of all the national and provincial assemblies simultaneously.
Earlier today, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had directed the ruling coalition and PTI to start dialogue today and give it an update by 4pm.
At the same time, the top court maintained that it would not roll back its order fixing May 14 as the date for elections to the Punjab Assembly.
During the hearing, the coalition parties expressed willingness to engage in talks with opposition after Eid, but Justice Bandial directed them to hold the talks today.
However, the top court did not resume the hearing of the case. Later PPP lawyer Farooq H. Naek and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan held a meeting with the chief justice in his chambers.
Following the meeting, Naek said CJP Bandial had been informed that talks with the PTI had begun. The lawyer said that the hearing had been adjourned till April 27.
A day earlier, the apex court had issued notices to the political parties during the hearing pleas filed by the Ministry of Defence and two citizens seeking polls for national and provincial assemblies simultaneously. The apex court however declared the ministry’s petition inadmissible but it issued notices on the pleas filed by the citizens.
