CM Maryam urges SC judges to let country progress

LAHORE: In a tirade against the apex court judgment awarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) its due share of reserved seats of women and minorities in the parliament, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said Friday the Supreme Court judges should let the country make progress.

Speaking at an event in Lahore, the chief minister said she would like to urge the top court judges to let the country move forward.

Maryam blamed the SC judges of rewriting the constitution to bring back one person to the politics. “Who are those (people) who do not like the country making progress and re-write the Constitution,” she wondered.

In a major legal victory for the PTI, the SC on July 12 ruled that the party was eligible for the allocation of reserved seats.

The decision has not only paved the way for the PTI's return to the parliament, which was kicked out of the February 8 polls owing to the ECP's December 2023 ruling, but has also increased the pressure on the coalition alliance as the judgement will change the composition of the National Assembly.

The Punjab chief minister said the top court gave the PTI relief that the party did not even seek.

The SC judges gave them 15 days to submit their affidavits claiming their affiliation with the PTI, despite the fact that they had already submitted documents affirming allegiance with another party, she said.

“We will not let this be a cake walk for you. This government will complete its five years’ tenure. If anyone tries to create political instability, they will be dealt with iron hands,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader warned.

"It was said that verdicts were announced according to their conscience," Maryam noted, adding that decisions should be according to the constitution, not according to a person's conscience.

She said the one they were trying to bring back was the nation’s criminal. "No one knew from where he was launched and from where he was sourcing funds," she maintained.

The PML-N leader said a group of few people gave such orders which halted the process of development. She also said that the law and Constitution did not allow floor crossing, while the “SC judge’s ruling said, you can commit floor crossing”.