PPP distances itself from confrontation with CJP

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples’ Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that his party did not want to confront the chief justice amid the soaring criticism on the judiciary on the issue of elections in Punjab and KPK.

In a local TV show, Kaira said they did not want to engage in such move.

His response comes at the moment when the PDM government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came down hard upon the judiciary and especially the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial.

Kaira said that the PPP only wanted the Chief Justice to establish a full court. It's not entirely clear what Kaira meant by this, but it's possible that he was referring to the fact that the Supreme Court has been operating with fewer judges than usual due to retirements and vacancies. Perhaps Kaira was suggesting that the PPP wants the Chief Justice to fill these vacancies and ensure that the court is functioning at full capacity.

A "reference" usually refers to a formal complaint or accusation made against a judge for misconduct or some other violation of the law. Kaira may have been suggesting that the government was trying to target certain judges or interfere with the judiciary in some way, and that the PPP was not consulted about this.

Kaira said that the PPP does not want a deadlock with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but wanted a dialogue. PPP is the ruling party in Sindh and PTI is the main opposition party there.

Last week, the PML-N leadership lashed out at CJP Umar Ata Bandial and demanded his resignation, calling him biased and partial. PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif who is in London insisted the coalition governemnt to file refernece agianst Umar Ata Bandial. Maryam Nawaz also demanded CJP Bandial's resignation besides huge criticism on the three-member bench of the apex court. PM also delivered a fiery speech on the floor of the house and said that the bench did not hear the lawyers of the political parties except the PTI. 

PDM leader and JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also announced full support for the PML-N in the ongoing confrontation with some of the top court judges.