A special bench of the Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing on a petition calling for elections across the country to be held simultaneously.

The Special Bench II comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan took up the petition filed by Sardar Kashif Khan.

Attorney General shares details of Thursday meeting

Attorney General Mansoor Usman argued that on April 19, the first contact between the government and the opposition was made. They agreed to meet on April 26,

Ayaz Sadiq and Saad Rafique met Asad Qaiser on April 25, however, the PTI lawmaker said that he is not empowered to negotiate.

He said that the collation partners met on Wednesday, where two parties were against the negotiation. Moreover, Usman said that the Chairman Senate wrote letters to the government and the opposition leaders and asked them to name four representatives each for to negotiate on the matter.

Five member committee

PPP’s Advocate Farooq Naek argued that the Chairman Senate is the facilitator in the whole process. The PPP is not part of the PDM but it is part of the government. The Chairman Senate wrote to include 5 members in both the committees.

The Chief Justice remarked that the Chairman Senate is neither a representative of the government nor of the opposition, if the government is serious in negotiations, then it would have taken steps itself.

“The court cannot force to negotiate, the court does not need any explanation, only tell the solution,” CJP remarked. “The Chairman Senate will call the meeting, it will also take time.”

Farooq H Naik told the court that all the government allies are ready for talks, all parties are represented in the Senate, talks have to be held by political parties committees, there is a political issue, political leaders should be allowed to solve the problem. The future of politics should be decided by politicians.

PTI ready for negation

PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi argued in the court that in the last hearing, the political leadership of all parties had appeared before the court, and the apex court had given an opportunity for political consensus. However, the court’s order was taken seriously by the PTI, but there is no consensus on negotiations in the PDM even today.

The Chief Justice remarked that these are political things, “we are talking about the case and you are saying that contact was not made seriously”.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that PTI is serious about talks, and is ready to sit down.

Revised cause lists were issued on Wednesday after the chief justice was unable to come to court for proceedings due to being unwell.

The chief justice will do chamber work till 11:30 am when the proceeding in the election case will begin.

This is the same bench that heard the election delay case and ordered that elections for the dissolved assembly in Punjab should be held on May 14 and the required funds should be issued by the State Bank of Pakistan with ex post facto approval from the parliament.

The bench’s composition and its decisions have been the subject of criticism from the government amid allegations that the top court has been divided into two groups. Government members including PMLN leader Maryam Nawaz have said that benches have been ‘fixed’ to seemingly pass verdicts supporting Imran Khan.

The divide in the court has led to a debate over whether the decision made on holding elections was a 4-3 rejection or 3-2 approval of the suo motu notice taken to hold elections in Punjab.