ISLAMABAD: April 26, 2023: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Wednesday delisted its 8-member bench that was earlier scheduled to resume hearing into case of delay in holding fresh elections in the Punjab and Khyer Pukhtunkhaw (KPK) due to indisposition of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Atta Bandial .
The Registrar Office of the apex court formally notified delisting of the bench 1 led by CJP to hear the case in focus on April 27, 2023.
The Registrar Office, however, did not further reason that resulted in delisting of high profile case of delay in holding elections in the Punjab.
Earlier, the Registrar office had fixed the case for bench 1 for April 27, 2023 to review the progress in the matter regarding reaching to some final conclusion through dialogue to hold fresh elections in the Punjab and KPK. The apex court’s 8 –member bench had ruled during the hearing of the case last week that in the case the political parties remain divided and do not reach to some consensus on the matter then its order to hold elections in the Punjab on May 14 will remain in force.
The SCP’s last week ruling had created a panic like situation among the political parties in particular in the government ranks and it had held a series of meetings to workout some strategy to at least stop the apex court from giving a final verdict on the matter as the government is not inclined to hold the elections as ordered d by SCP in one province . The government argues that holding the fresh elections in one or two provinces will further divide the nation and bring more instability in the country. The government, instead, intends to hold fresh general elections of national assembly and all four provinces in one go sometimes in October this year .
Delisting of the case that had brought the apex court and the Shahbaz government at logger head s and created panic in the society will bring some relief to the ruling alliance , may be for the time being, besides giving a sense of relief to the public which is in fearing some unseen development in Pakistan due to the on-going spat between the apex court and Shahbaz Sharif government.
However, it depends on SCP’s cause list to be issued for the next week how long this relief to the Shahbaz government continues.