Questions dissolution of PA; Agrees with judges Mandokhail, Syed Mansoor
Justice Athar Minallah maintained on Friday that the Supreme Court’s suo motu notice over the delay in the announcement of provincial assembly elections was dismissed by a majority 4-3 ruling.
The apex court had issued orders maintaining that the court was split 3-2 on March 1 and empowered President Arif Alvi to announce the date of the Punjab Assembly elections, while directing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor to set the election date of the provincial assembly in consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan. According to the latter interpretation, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar supported the verdict, while Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah dissented by opposing the admissibility of the suo moto case. Justice Minallah on Friday stated that he has read the detailed reasoning of Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail and that he “agrees with their opinion, particularly regarding the final outcome of the petitions and the suo motu assumption of jurisdiction by a majority of 4 to 3 because this was the understanding in the meeting.
held in the anteroom on February 27.”
“It is noted that I had not recused nor had any reason to dissociate myself,” he said in a 23-page note dismissing suo motu case regarding the announcement of the polling date of the Punjab Assembly.
