Polls in Punjab and KP: Security report submitted in the supreme court as SC is announcing its verdict today
ISLAMABAD: Secretary Defence submitted the classified security situation report in the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning ahead of the announcement of the reserved verdict of the apex court regarding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial said on Monday that the court will announce its reserved verdict on Tuesday regarding polls in Punjab and KP.
The classified security report cannot be made public, nonetheless, judges of the 3-member bench can read it to assess the security threats and reasons of non-availability of the army for polls.
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial stated this on Monday afternoon that the exact time of the announcement of the decision will be notified on Tuesday. Till the filing of the report, the court did not announce its reserved verdict.
The federal cabinet removed the Supreme Court Registrar Ishrat Ali on Monday soon after seniormost judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa sought his removal from office.
The SC Registrar was directed to report to the Establishment Division. The decision was taken in a special meeting of the cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
The participants of the meeting considered a two-point agenda and got a briefing from Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan.
The cabinet meeting evaluated the issue of a circular that registrar Ishrat Ali issued against the order of the Supreme Court bench led by Qazi Faez Isa in violation of the constitution.
The federal cabinet also urged President Dr. Arif Alvi to sign the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023 forthwith to save the country from constitutional and political crises.
In a strongly worded letter written to the Registrar, Justice Isa said that the Registrar doesn’t have the power to issue a circular and undo the decision of the special bench. Justice Isa asked the Registrar to withdraw the circular immediately and also relinquish the charge of his post for being incompetent to handle constitutional matters.
Earlier, the Supreme Court reserved the verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea against the ECP’s decision to delay the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Moreover, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked the attorney general that the government and PTI should find a solution via dialogue.
CJP Bandial said, “The Constitutional machinery exists if political dialogue doesn’t take place.”
“Allegations are being made because everyone wants to fulfill political interests. They want to choose their own judges to have their cases heard,” the chief justice remarked.
“The idea of elections taking place at the same time is excellent. But two assemblies have been dissolved in this case. A guarantee would be needed from the federal government,” he said.
