ISLAMABAD: The ruling PML-N unleashed a full-scale attack on the higher courts on Wednesday, charging justices with exceeding their authority and violating the Pakistani Constitution in their verdict on the reserved seats case.
The criticism was directed at the Election Commission of Pakistan for joining the case, and it came against the backdrop of a ruling written by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who advocated for “complete justice” in allocating reserved seats to the PTI.
Eighty MNAs who had joined the Sunni Ittehad Council were also proclaimed PTI members by the judgment.
PML-N leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui said at a comprehensive press conference that the top court deemed the SIC members to be PTI MNAs, despite the fact that neither the Supreme Court nor any other forum, such the ECP, has upheld that decision. The ruling rendered Articles 239(5) and 239(6) invalid. He continued reading the two articles: “(5) No amendment to the Constitution may be contested in any court on any basis whatsoever; (6) It is hereby declared, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) has unrestricted authority to amend any of the Constitution’s provisions.”
“You correct us if we break the Constitution, but what will happen to us when the judiciary does the same?” he enquired. The senator stated that the ECP had already decided that the SIC would not receive any reserved seats, and that the majority ruling of the Supreme Court had not only not settled the matter but also further complicated it.
Senator Siddiqui claims that the candidates who have been reelected must send in a certificate indicating their party affiliation within three days. He continued, “Under this, 80 MNAs declared them to be Sunni Ittehad Council members, so they are unable to change their party affiliation.”
He told the PTI that there was no place for political maneuvering on matters of national importance and that Parliament and the Constitution will always take precedence. He went on, “The best place to pass the laws that are required to streamline the system is the parliament.”
“You (judges) are what the Constitution, which we created, made.” which your pay and benefits are provided,” he posed to the court. He added that the parliament had the right to enact legislation necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the state. In response to a question, he stated that the PML-N respected the courts and valued free speech.
The senator also discussed the constitutional package, which includes a constitutional court among its provisions. According to him, the administration was determined to create a national constitutional court in order to handle the more than 60,000 cases that the Supreme Court was now handling. It should be mentioned that despite intense efforts, the government was unable to introduce these constitutional modifications last week.
Senator Siddiqui reminded everyone that the PTI was the organization that had previously attacked and disregarded the parliament and Pakistan Television (PTV). He went on, “They had not even spared the security institutions.” He asserted that they mistreat everyone, including the chief of army staff, the Pakistani Election Commission, and the judiciary. He claimed that the party had engaged in actions that eventually harmed the unity and integrity of the nation.
During its term, he claimed, the PTI government had filed fictitious cases against innocent people. During the PTI administration, fictitious cases were brought against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
He claimed that the PTI leaders frequently used extraparliamentary language to disparage their rivals. He went on, “their party workers were part of the May 9 riots, which desecrated the memorials to the martyrs and the security measures.”
