[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]KARACHI: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has raised the spectre of a constitutional crisis in Pakistan, warning that it could lead to martial law or an emergency-like situation.
His concerns stem from the ongoing case in which the Supreme Court (SC) is hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone the Punjab Assembly elections.
A three-judge bench comprised of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar has been deliberating on the case for the past week.
The Supreme Court has rejected the coalition government’s repeated requests for the formation of a full court bench. Earlier on Monday, the court reserved its decision in the case.
FM Bilawal told the media in Larkana on Monday that if a larger bench is not formed, it could lead to a constitutional crisis and invite martial law or an emergency-like situation in Pakistan.
Read More: Third generation of Bhutto awaits SC justice, says Bilawal
He urged the judges to assess the country’s current situation and convene a full court bench to address the pressing issue of the election date.
Bilawal emphasised the importance of institutional behaviour for the betterment of the nation. He emphasised that the impact of a decision made by three people would be different from that of a larger bench. As a result, the Supreme Court should consider the case accordingly.
Furthermore, the foreign minister chastised the higher judiciary from within its own ranks, calling it “historic” and expressing distrust in “these three judges.”
He questioned the decision to reduce a nine-member bench to three after member protests.
He also criticised Justice Ahsan’s inclusion on the bench, despite the fact that he had previously distanced himself from the Supreme Court’s suo motu notice of the delay in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) election proceedings in February.
Bilawal also attacked SC Registrar Ishrat Ali, claiming that he was a “super emperor” with the authority to overturn a three-member bench’s decision with a notification whenever he pleased.
Before taking any further action, the foreign minister urged the chief justice and the judges to form a larger bench. In such a case, he maintained, the decision of all the judges would be acceptable to the coalition government.
The chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said they would “fight and contest” if a court ordered them to use flood relief funds for the “battle of Lahore’s throne.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
