LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday announced that from next week, his party will hold rallies every day till May 14 – when Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on the orders of the Supreme Court.
He made the announcement while addressing workers at a rally organized in support of the “Constitution, Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan” at Lakshmi Chowk Metro Station in Lahore.
PTI took out rallies in four cities: Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar.
“It is the decision of the entire nation against the Constitution and [against] the way this mafia is pushing and propagating against the Chief Justice and [other] judges,” Khan said, referring to the current coalition government. said
The PTI chairman announced plans for daily rallies and said that if the elections are not held, he will come out and prepare the people for protests.
“When a country’s constitution is violated, it means that the system of justice and the rule of law have been destroyed. Above all, it means that the nation has lost its freedom and has become a slave.”
He asserted that we will not rest until the elections are held and Pakistan becomes independent.
‘Indian minister’s statement reflects on his country’
Referring to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent visit to India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, Khan said the way the former was treated by his Indian counterpart was “unacceptable”. Shame on everyone.”
Khan also addressed the comments of Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar, who called Bilawal “a promoter, purveyor of justice, and mouthpiece of the terror industry which is at the core of Pakistan”.
“Do you (Jaishankar) have no manners or manners? A guest comes to your country… inviting him and insulting him reflects on your country,” Khan said. said
Govt, judiciary at loggerheads
The PTI rallies come amid a standoff between the government and the Supreme Judiciary over the date of elections in Punjab as well as the recently passed Act on the Chief Justice’s powers.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct the Punjab Assembly elections on May 14 and release Rs 21 billion to the government in this regard. However, the government has failed to release the money despite repeated directions from the Supreme Court.
Earlier this week, talks between the PTI and the government on the election date – which took place in five formal and informal rounds – ended without any consensus.
After the conclusion of the talks, the PTI submitted a report to the Supreme Court requesting it to ensure the implementation of the April 4 decision to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.
During the hearing of the request to hold simultaneous elections across the country, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial said that in case the negotiations between the government and the opposition failed, the Supreme Court would ensure the implementation of its order of April 4. will use the constitution for .
Meanwhile, the government has notified the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, which aims to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice to take automatic notices and constitute benches.
The Supreme Court, while hearing petitions challenging the bill – which has now become an Act – directed Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan to produce copies of the proceedings of the Standing Committee meeting. During which the legislation was discussed.
The move caused further uproar in the National Assembly, which had earlier passed a motion to censure it, saying it was an aggressive attempt by the Supreme Court to usurp the powers of Parliament.
