PTI to file reference against ministers for rejecting SC verdict

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry Wednesday announced filing a reference against the cabinet members who took part in a meeting that rejected the Supreme Court verdict in the election delay case.

“We have sought details of the cabinet members who took part in the meeting which rejected the apex court verdict,” said Fawad, adding that they had given 12-hour time to the cabinet members to withdraw the statement about rejection of the SC verdict if they wanted to save themselves from legal action.

He said: “If they do not take back their stance, we will approach the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against them under Article 63-A.”

Fawad Chaudhry said the cabinet members violated Article 2A of the Constitution, which was about sovereignty of the state. “They have violated the ideology of the country,” said the former information minister.

“Those who rejected the SC verdict have negated the Constitution. Those refusing the verdict can be sent to jail for three years,” he warned.

The PTI leader said they were working to challenge the registration of PMLN, as a convicted person sitting in London was running the party. He referred to the recent media talk of Nawaz Sharif in which he suggested the coalition government to file a reference against the judges of the three-member bench.

Fawad Chaudhry said they [the PMLN leaders] were fool as they did not know that the reference could not be filed against judges over any judgment. He also made it clear that the Supreme Court had set a timeline for the government and ECP to hold the elections, saying that the SC would be approached if the government or others failed to comply with the timeline.

The PTI leader said they had challenged the Joint Investigation Team formation before the Lahore High Court (LHC) as it was formed without the approval of the cabinet. He said the additional secretary home was not authorised to form the JIT, under the law. He said they had made Punjab Interim CM Mohsin Naqvi, IGP and CCPO as party to the case.

“The interim CM, IGP and CCPO Lahore are our accused in Zille Shah murder case; so how the JIT made by these people can summon us,” added Fawad Chaudhry.

Separately, Fawad Chaudhry offered an olive branch to the government and said that instead of clashing with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, they should initiate a dialogue to pave the way for national election.

In a statement, issued by the party’s Central Media Department here, he termed the ECP decision of notifying the Punjab polls date and Punjab caretaker government’s assurance of implementation of the SC decision “steps in the right direction”.

Fawad said that it was high time they should initiate discussions to ensure holding of national elections. He urged that the ruling parties should not tread the path of confrontation with the apex court.

He pointed out that economic problems necessitated the need to de-escalate the political temperature and to ensure polls in the country, so as to put an end to the prevailing uncertainty in the country.

PTI Central Secretary Information Farrukh Habib said the ECP eventually realised that its order of March 22 to postpone the elections till October 8 was unconstitutional and illegal. He said the electoral watchdog issued new polls date in the light of the apex court order, adding there would be no partiality and the SC would implement the Constitution pertaining to elections.

PTI Senior Vice President Dr Shireen Mazari criticised the rulers and tweeted, “The cabal of crooks has no shame whatsoever thinking they can cherry pick which SC decision they will accept & which they will reject.

“No respect for Constitution & Rule of Law. Scavengers holding on to their looted wealth & trappings of power courtesy regime change conspiracy”.

She also blasted the “imported government” for its silence over barbarism, unleashed by Israeli forces against innocent Palestinians and strongly condemned Israeli occupation forces’ attack on worshippers in the Al Aqsa mosque.