Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has once again asked the ruling coalition and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to continue negotiations.
The CJP made the statement while presiding over a three-person bench that included Justices Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar. The court was hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) plea to reconsider the April 4 ruling that mandated that elections be held in Punjab on May 14.
It is pertinent to mention here that on April 4, the same bench declared that the ECP's intention to hold elections on October 8 rather than April 30 was "illegal."
Instead of following the order, the ECP petitioned the highest court to examine its guidelines.
During today’s hearing, the attorney general of Pakistan and the attorneys general of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were among the respondents in the case who received notifications from the court.
The CJP then asked the parties to give arguments about the admissibility of the plea and inquired as to how long it would take the ECP to finish its arguments.
The attorney for the electoral body responded to the question by saying he would need two to three days.
PTI's lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, approached the podium and said the Constitution has been assassinated. He said that a group of 100 million people who make up the country's population has been denied representation.
The CJP criticized the government for disobeying court orders to hold the elections by the deadline.
According to the Constitution, elections must be held within 90 days. While directing the authorities to satisfy the court with their actions, CJP Bandial stated that if there was an order for polls to be held on May 14, it should have been carried out.
The hearing was postponed until Tuesday (May 23) due to the top judge's observation that "mature political parties" were present on both sides.
The CJP made the statement while presiding over a three-person bench that included Justices Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar. The court was hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) plea to reconsider the April 4 ruling that mandated that elections be held in Punjab on May 14.
It is pertinent to mention here that on April 4, the same bench declared that the ECP's intention to hold elections on October 8 rather than April 30 was "illegal."
Instead of following the order, the ECP petitioned the highest court to examine its guidelines.
During today’s hearing, the attorney general of Pakistan and the attorneys general of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were among the respondents in the case who received notifications from the court.
The CJP then asked the parties to give arguments about the admissibility of the plea and inquired as to how long it would take the ECP to finish its arguments.
The attorney for the electoral body responded to the question by saying he would need two to three days.
PTI's lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, approached the podium and said the Constitution has been assassinated. He said that a group of 100 million people who make up the country's population has been denied representation.
The CJP criticized the government for disobeying court orders to hold the elections by the deadline.
According to the Constitution, elections must be held within 90 days. While directing the authorities to satisfy the court with their actions, CJP Bandial stated that if there was an order for polls to be held on May 14, it should have been carried out.
The hearing was postponed until Tuesday (May 23) due to the top judge's observation that "mature political parties" were present on both sides.