Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Monday asked the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to resume talks again.
The CJP passed the remark while heading a three-member bench, comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar. The bench was hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s plea to revisit the April 4 order that had made it liable on the electoral body to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.
On April 4, the same bench ruled the ECP’s decision to hold elections in Punjab on October 8 instead of April 30 was “illegal”, ordering the electoral watchdog to hold polls in Punjab on May 14.
However, the election organising authority, instead of complying with the order, moved the top court to review its directives.
Shedding light on the sit-in protest staged by the PDM outside SC, CJP Bandial said that the government failed; however, “we will continue to do our duty.”
Raising concerns regarding the directives of holding negotiations, Lawyer Zafar said that the top leadership of PTI has been arrested how can the party hold dialogue with the government under such circumstances?
“Now we don’t want to negotiate we just want the SC to implement the Constitution,” he said. However, CJP Bandial said that the court looks at the conduct of the candidate seeking relief and “when there is a war-like situation the law becomes silent.”
