LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday called on Supreme Court (SC) judges to allow Pakistan to progress following the apex court’s ruling on Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) appeals, which declared Imran Khan-founded PTI eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities.
Maryam accused the SC judges of altering the constitution to facilitate one individual’s return to mainstream politics. She emphasized that the constitution prohibits floor crossing, yet the Supreme Court’s decision suggested otherwise. She argued that decisions should align with the constitution rather than personal conscience and claimed the court granted PTI relief that the party did not even seek.
Referring to PTI founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned due to the May 9 riots cases, the Punjab chief minister stated, “The one who is being brought back is the nation’s criminal.” Maryam Nawaz accused certain individuals of making decisions that hinder the country’s progress whenever it begins to stabilize.
She questioned the Supreme Court’s judgment, suggesting it contributed to instability.
Criticizing the PTI-led government, she remarked that despite their four-year tenure, they had caused significant destruction.
She also highlighted that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had parted ways with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), whereas the individual serving a sentence in Adiala Jail re-engaged with the global lender.
She affirmed that the current government would complete its five-year term and warned that any attempts to create political instability would be dealt with firmly.
A 13-member bench of the top court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that PTI is eligible for reserved seats, representing a significant blow to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah delivered the 8-5 majority verdict, overturning the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision, which had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) denial of reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan dissented from the majority decision.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced its decision to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring PTI eligible for reserved seats.
An ECP spokesperson clarified that the commission had instructed its legal team to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision, and stated that the ECP had not misinterpreted the verdict or validated the intra-party elections. Instead, the commission maintained that PTI’s intra-party elections were not legally compliant, and thus, candidates who submitted nomination papers without a party ticket and declaration could not be considered PTI candidates.
