LAHORE: A crucial meeting of the federal cabinet has been called today (Sunday) to decide in categorical terms whether the government would release funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the elections for Punjab Assembly on May 14 as per the Supreme Court order, or show open defiance to the top court’s orders.
Federal cabinet to meet in Lahore
As per the government sources, the meeting would be held in Lahore with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. This is an important meeting on the prevailing issues while most cabinet members would participate in the deliberations via a video link.
The PPP has already distanced itself from the Sharifs’ demand that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial should step down. But, according to sources, the party may review its stance on whether to support its senior coalition partner’s decision to reject the top court’s order on Punjab polls.
According to the PML-N sources, the release of funds for Punjab polls, Justice Athar Minallah’s judicial note in the elections case and President Dr Arif Alvi’s returning the Supreme Court Bill would come under discussion during the meeting. Further legislation by parliament to clip the supreme court’s powers may also be discussed in the meeting.
Recent statements by the PML-N leaders suggest that the Sharifs were in full mood to defy the CJP-led three-member bench’s decision to hold elections in the province on May 14. Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and Shehbaz Sharif, all in one voice, have rejected the three-member bench verdict and the parliament is also standing behind them on the issue. After Sunday’s meeting, the ruling alliance and the cabinet may declare that there were no funds available for the May 14 elections.
It would be interesting to see what action the Supreme Court takes on Monday or Tuesday. According to the political observers, the PML-N was desperately looking for a narrative and this defiance would help it build one with which it can go into polls.
PML-N senior leader Maryam Nawaz has already declared that the party was ready for disqualifications. The Supreme Court had ordered the federal government to give Rs21 billion to the ECP for elections in Punjab by April 10.
