Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday asked Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to “get his court in order” or relinquish the position.
In a tweet, posted hours after Justice Athar Minallah of the Supreme Court issued his dissenting note on the suo motu case regarding the delay in Punjab elections, Bilawal said that with Justice Minallah’s note, there were four justices on record who rejected the suo motu notice.
“It is clear that the CJP’s opinion is the minority judgement. The Chief Justice and Supreme Court must act immediately to undo this unconstitutional bench fixing,” Bilawal said, adding this was the only way to restore the dignity of the top court.
The PPP chairman also criticized the three-member bench’s decision that ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab on May 14 and directed all institutions to assist the electoral body in this regard.
“The three member decision is not worth the paper it is written on. If the CJP cannot get his court in order and remedy this mockery of justice then perhaps he should allow someone else to take the responsibility of CJP,” he added.
Bilawal’s statement comes hours after the PDM-led government demanded the CJP’s resignation after Justice Minallah issued his dissenting note.
In his 25-page long note, Justice Minallah agreed with dissenting notes of Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Jamal Khan Mandokhail, who earlier penned notes on the case, saying that the suo motu case was dismissed 4-3.
Shortly after the note was issued, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb addressed a press conference and urged the CJP to step down, saying that the head of the top had become controversial.
“Athar Minallah’s decision not only raises a question on court proceedings but it also categorically states that he had not distanced, recused or disassociated himself from the bench.”
She further said that Justice Minallah had agreed with the verdict issued by his brother judges and declared the case to be inadmissible. She said that a verdict could not be issued on a matter that had been dismissed by a majority.
The information minister went on to say that the CJP had become “controversial” and should, therefore, resign.
PML-N Senior Vice President (SVP) Maryam Nawaz said that judges of “impeccable repute have raised serious questions on CJP’s conduct and bias” and also called on Justice Bandial to resign.
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