Coalition govt partners boycott SC's hearing on Punjab CM's election

Islamabad: The coalition government members on Monday decided to boycott the Supreme Court of Pakistan's hearing scheduled to be held tomorrow (Tuesday) to announce verdict in run-off Punjab Chief Minister's election.

The announcement came at a press conference jointly addressed by the Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) leadership following the Supreme Court's decision to continue the hearing on the Punjab chief minister's election with the current three-member bench. 

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The SC rejected the petition seeking the formation of a full bench for hearing the case of the Punjab chief minister’s election where Hamza Shehbaz defeated Pervez Elahi.

Speaking at a press conference at the Prime Minister’s House, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said if the Supreme Court doesn’t form a full court, “then we [PDM] will also reject all decisions of the judiciary as we will not appear before this three-members bench.”

“We boycott the proceeding the apex court,” Fazl announced, adding that the coalition government doesn't want any institution to interfere in court matters.

PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the coalition government had demanded a full court, when a decision was being given about an institution, the entire judiciary should have also sat.

PML-N leader and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the case was test for the SC as they [PDM] had said teh entire Pakistan would accpet the verdict only announced by the full bench.

Another PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said 20 votes cast in favor of Hamza were not counted, and the review petitions in this connection were pending in the Supreme Court.