Only Supreme Court can delay elections, says Chief Justice Bandial
ISLAMABAD (MNP) – A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday resumed hearing of the plea challenging delay in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
At the outset, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked PPP counsel Farooq H. Naek whether his party had boycotted the proceedings.
Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Awan, ECP lawyers Irfan Qadir and Sajeel Swati and PTI lawyer Ali Zafar were also present in the courtroom as the hearing bagan. Also in attendance were secretaries of finance and defence.
“How can you boycott the case and at the same time attend the hearing,” Justice Akhtar said. “How can anyone boycott proceedings of the case,” he inquired. He said newspaper reports suggested that the government had boycotted the proceedings and how could he (Mr Naek) give arguments. He also asked Mr Naek to read out the joint statement and expressed displeasure with the language used in it.
The CJP asked the PPP lawyer if he wanted to become a part of the proceedings and Mr Naek assured that his party did not boycott the hearing. Justice Bandial said something else was written in the newspapers and the PPP counsel replied that his party had reservations on the maintainability of the petition. The CJP asked Mr Naek to give assurance in writing that the party had not boycotted the hearing.
