Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial stated on Wednesday that the Supreme Court had finally rendered a decision about the Punjab elections and that it was time to "move on."
Top intelligence personnel briefed the Supreme Court on the security situation a day earlier. The director general of military operations briefed the bench at the briefing, according to CJP Bandial, who also mentioned the presence of the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the defense secretary.
"While the military authorities' briefing was quite impressive and provided light on the actual situation, nobody came to give us a briefing when the matter was being heard. A briefing was only presented after the Supreme Court made its decision public. We cannot undo the decision now that it has been made public. We must now move forward," CJP Bandial stated.
The CJP made the statement while hearing the three petitions for elections for all assemblies to be held on the same day. He presided over a three-member bench that included Justices Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar.
The same bench issued the ruling on April 4, ordering the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold early elections in Punjab the following month.
The Ministry of Defence petitioned the Supreme Court on Tuesday, requesting that elections be held on the same day nationwide and that the court revoke its directive to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.
But today, two more petitions asking for simultaneous voting across the nation were submitted to the highest court.
A citizen named Mohammad Arif filed one of the pleas, and Sardar Kashif Khan's lawyer, Shah Khawar, registered the other. The court then decided to hear all three petitions concurrently.
CJP Bandial began today’s hearing with the recitation of a verse from the holy Quran and prayed that the bench would give the "right verdict."
Top intelligence personnel briefed the Supreme Court on the security situation a day earlier. The director general of military operations briefed the bench at the briefing, according to CJP Bandial, who also mentioned the presence of the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the defense secretary.
"While the military authorities' briefing was quite impressive and provided light on the actual situation, nobody came to give us a briefing when the matter was being heard. A briefing was only presented after the Supreme Court made its decision public. We cannot undo the decision now that it has been made public. We must now move forward," CJP Bandial stated.
The CJP made the statement while hearing the three petitions for elections for all assemblies to be held on the same day. He presided over a three-member bench that included Justices Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar.
The same bench issued the ruling on April 4, ordering the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold early elections in Punjab the following month.
The Ministry of Defence petitioned the Supreme Court on Tuesday, requesting that elections be held on the same day nationwide and that the court revoke its directive to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.
But today, two more petitions asking for simultaneous voting across the nation were submitted to the highest court.
A citizen named Mohammad Arif filed one of the pleas, and Sardar Kashif Khan's lawyer, Shah Khawar, registered the other. The court then decided to hear all three petitions concurrently.
CJP Bandial began today’s hearing with the recitation of a verse from the holy Quran and prayed that the bench would give the "right verdict."