PTI chief Imran Khan on Wednesday suspended the 'jail bharo' movement following the top court's orders to the authorities to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 90 days.
"We welcome the SC judgement," the former premier said in a tweet hours after the top court announced its verdict.
"It was [the] responsibility of SC to uphold Constitution and they have valiantly done that through their judgement today. It is an assertion of rule of law in Pakistan."
"We are suspending our Jail Bharo movement and moving forward with election campaigns in KP and Punjab," Imran said.
Earlier today, the top court ordered that elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must take place within the next 90 days.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail dissented from the majority’s decision, leaving the judgment split 3-2. The decision was endorsed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.
The dissenting note argued that the suo motu was unmaintainable.
Read this too: Suo Motu Notice Rejected By 4-3, Says Law Minister
The five-member bench headed by the CJP Bandial concluded the two-day-long proceedings on Tuesday. The top judge declared on the occasion that the judges were in the court to protect the Constitution, not any particular party.
“We cannot abandon the Constitution, and we cannot override the Constitution,” he said after reserving the verdict.
When the Punjab and K-P provinces were dissolved earlier this year, the chief justice initially convened a nine-member bench to hear the suo motu notice regarding the delay in announcing provincial elections in both the provinces.
Justices Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi withdrew from the hearing on Monday at the outset of the hearing due to concerns about their eligibility to remain included in the bench.
While expressing their views on the maintainability of the petitions on the subject, two further judges, Justice Afridi and Justice Minallah, had subsequently withdrawn from the proceedings.
"We welcome the SC judgement," the former premier said in a tweet hours after the top court announced its verdict.
"It was [the] responsibility of SC to uphold Constitution and they have valiantly done that through their judgement today. It is an assertion of rule of law in Pakistan."
"We are suspending our Jail Bharo movement and moving forward with election campaigns in KP and Punjab," Imran said.
Earlier today, the top court ordered that elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must take place within the next 90 days.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail dissented from the majority’s decision, leaving the judgment split 3-2. The decision was endorsed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.
The dissenting note argued that the suo motu was unmaintainable.
Read this too: Suo Motu Notice Rejected By 4-3, Says Law Minister
The five-member bench headed by the CJP Bandial concluded the two-day-long proceedings on Tuesday. The top judge declared on the occasion that the judges were in the court to protect the Constitution, not any particular party.
“We cannot abandon the Constitution, and we cannot override the Constitution,” he said after reserving the verdict.
When the Punjab and K-P provinces were dissolved earlier this year, the chief justice initially convened a nine-member bench to hear the suo motu notice regarding the delay in announcing provincial elections in both the provinces.
Justices Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi withdrew from the hearing on Monday at the outset of the hearing due to concerns about their eligibility to remain included in the bench.
While expressing their views on the maintainability of the petitions on the subject, two further judges, Justice Afridi and Justice Minallah, had subsequently withdrawn from the proceedings.