Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif calls for submission of reference against SC judges after Punjab poll verdict

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 5 : Pakistan Muslim League-N Supremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif slammed the supreme court's verdict in the Punjab election delay case and called for the submission of a reference against the three-member SC bench, The Express Tribune reported.

While addressing a press conference on Tuesday in London, where Nawaz has been living since 2019, said, "A reference should be filed in the Supreme Judicial Council against these three judges as today's judgement is a charge sheet against them."

This comment came after the Supreme Court's three-member bench continued hearing the case and nullified the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to postpone polls in Punjab despite the ruling PDM's demand to constitute a full court in the matter.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar announced the verdict on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) petition challenging the ECP's move to postpone Punjab Assembly polls till October, according to The Express Tribune.

The apex court announced that general elections of the Punjab Assembly would be held on May 14 as it declared the ECP's decision "unconstitutional".

Referring to his disqualification by the top court in 2016, Nawaz said he was ousted from power in a matter of seconds, "whereas all-out efforts are being made to bring [PTI chief] Imran Khan back into power".

"By paralysing the state, everything has been destroyed in the love of a 'ladla' (darling) Imran Khan, which is very unfortunate," he added.

Earlier, The Nation reported that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government on Saturday held a meeting where they decided that any decision made by the three judges in the case will be unacceptable, reported The Express Tribune.

The development further deepens the constitutional and political crisis in Pakistan as the institutions find themselves at loggerheads. At a huddle with allies PDM and PPP, Pakistan's federal government expressed "complete no-confidence" in the three-member bench, as per the news report. They further called upon the court to discontinue the proceedings of the case forthwith.