Pak SC holds verdict on Punjab CM election as coalition demand full court bench

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 25 (ANI): The Supreme Court of Pakistan reserved a verdict on the formation of a full court bench on Monday for hearing the petition filed concerning Punjab Chief Minister's elections and said that the party head "will also have to listen to the parliamentary party's opinion."
This comes after Hamza Shahbaz defeated Pervez Elahi in the Punjab polls and Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker, Mazari had dismissed PML-Q's 10 votes after party head, Chaudhry Shujaat urged them to vote in favour of Hamza, Geo News reported.
However, PTI and Elahi did not accept this and approached the top court.
The hearing was led by a three-membered bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, Geo News reported.
During the supreme court hearing that resumed today, the former head of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Advocate Latif Afridi said that he did not want to issue a one-sided order and arrive at a decision under the advice of 10 former presidents.
"The review petition in the Article 63(A) case should be fixed before a full court," Afridi said, as he highlighted the South-Asian country's deepening crisis.
Responding to Afridi's request, the CJP said "We need to hear the other side of the story as well," as the issues raised by Afridi resonate well with what Pakistan is undergoing presently.
Moving on, the SCBA President, Ahsan Bhoon said that he could not "imagine" pressurising the court, but stressed that the review petition on Article 63A should be heard.
"What's the hurry Bhoon Sahab, let us hear this case first," CJP said.
Upon the court's queries about Chaudhry Shujaat's letter to his party MPs, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarrar underlined that the directions were given to members prior to the assembly session.
According to Geo News, the entry of all political leaders to the Supreme Court was banned for the hearing on the case related to the election of the Punjab Chief Minister however strict security arrangements were made around the apex court.
Moreover, as per the petition, it has been stated that the ruling given by Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari on July 22 is valid, while Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's letter to his lawmakers is in accordance with the Constitution and the law. The petition stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan had validated the instructions given in the letter written by Imran Khan against the defecting members.
Demanding a full court bench to hear the case and not three judges, the coalition government rulers held a press conference hours before the hearing began.
PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz reiterated that the coalition government only has one demand and that is the formation of a full bench to hear the case related to the Punjab CM's election.
"This cannot happen that three people decide the fate of this country. Three people cannot decide on whether this country will run on a democratic, elected or selective system," Geo News quoted Bilawal Bhutto as saying.
Notably, the top court asked Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz to stay "trustee" CM till Monday (July 25) and limited his powers, noting that if he appoints someone against merit, it will not be taken into consideration. (ANI)