PTI observes 'thanksgiving day' after SC's verdict on Punjab CM by-polls

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 27 (ANI): The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) termed the Supreme Court's verdict, making Pervaiz Elahi the new Punjab Chief Minister, as "supremacy of the Constitution" and the party decided to observe 'thanksgiving day' on Wednesday.
A day earlier, the Supreme Court announced that Pakistan Muslim League (Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi, an ally of ex-PM Imran Khan, would be the new Chief Minister of Punjab province replacing Hamza Shahbaz of PML-N.
PTI chairman Imran Khan said, "I appreciate our SC judges for standing firm and upholding the Constitution and law, against all manner of threats and abuse."
"Tomorrow [Wednesday] evening we will offer thanks to Allah and celebrate with all the people of Pakistan who have stood by us in our campaign for Haqeeqi Azadi, coming out in massive numbers to show support," the former prime minister said.
Shah Mahmood Querishi, the vice president of PTI, said that the verdict of the Supreme Court had upheld the Constitution and the rule of law in the country, local media reported.
However, the ruling coalition in Pakistan disapproved of the new Punjab Chief Minister and called it the "start of another phase of independence of the judiciary," the Dawn newspaper reported.
The coalition government demanded a full court bench to hear the case but the apex court after hearing arguments from all sides for nearly eight hours, decided not to form a full court bench, saying that the same bench would hear the case.
The leaders from Pakistan League-Nawaz (PML-N) had earlier said the formation of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial-led three-judge bench had indicated that the verdict would become controversial.
"The country has turned into a theatre -- salute to three judges," Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N supermo and self-exiled former prime minister, said in a tweet.
"With the formation of the full court bench, justice would have not only to be done but it would have appeared to be done," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said adding that the Supreme Court's verdict gave a shock to the hopes of people, legal fraternity, petitioners and media for justice.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief, will hold a meeting of the ruling alliance to have a discussion on the Supreme Court's verdict.
Rehman said that they had neither accepted any military dictatorship nor would accept "judicial martial law," local media reported.
"The second phase of a campaign regarding the independence of the judiciary has started that was first launched by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif," Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz said "JUDICIAL COUP" in a tweet just after the verdict was announced by the Supreme Court. (ANI)