SC's verdict is acceptance of constitution's rule, respect to people's mandate: Qureshi

PTI central leader and former federal minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has welcomed the verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to instate PTI's candidate Pervez Elahi as the chief minister of Punjab, saying today the Constitution's rule has been accepted and the Pakistani people's mandate has been respected.

He told a presser that on July 17, the people of Pakistan accepted Imran Khan's narrative wholeheartedly and we reject this imported government.

Rebuking the deputy speaker's ruling, Qureshi said Mazari "trampled the Constitution and did not follow the principles", adding that he did not care about the law.

He said the judiciary tolerated the criticism with patience and fulfilled its responsibility. "The coalition government tried to employ delaying tactics to intimidate the judiciary."

The PTI leader said the decision had proved that Pakistan's judiciary was independent.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court today declared Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari's ruling in the Punjab Chief Minister election "illegal" and ruled that Pervez Elahi will be the new CM of the province. 

The Supreme Court's short order declared Pervez Elahi as the duly elected chief minister of Punjab as it ruled that he had obtained 186 votes compared to Hamza's 179.

The order also declared that the oath of office administered to Hamza was "without lawful authority and of no legal effect".