ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan on Tuesday lauded the judges of the Supreme Court’s three-member bench for “standing firm and upholding the Constitution and law” as they struck down the Punjab deputy speaker’s ruling on the chief minister’s election.

“I appreciate our SC judges for standing firm & upholding the Constitution & law, against all manner of threats & abuse,” the PTI chief wrote on Twitter.

Imran Khan’s tweet came as a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar struck down Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling on Punjab chief minister’s election, declaring his “understanding and implementation” of Article 63A(1)(b) of the Constitution “incorrect and erroneous”.

The verdict made PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz lose his status of the “trustee” chief minister and ruled his rival Parvez Elahi to take over the position of Punjab’s chief minister.

The PTI chief also thanked Barrister Ali Zafar and his team as well as the people of Punjab for coming out in “unprecedented numbers” in bye-elections against rigging.

In another tweet, the PTI chief said that tomorrow (Wednesday) his party would celebrate with all the people of Pakistan who stood by his party in its campaign against the government.