LAHORE: Punjab PPP leaders have criticised the Supreme Court’s decision of giving the Punjab election schedule on its own, disregarding the national security situation and pleas of political parties.

Acting President Rana Farooq Saeed said the verdict is an open attack on the independence of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

He said by giving the Punjab election verdict the apex court continued its tradition of delivering injustice on April 4, a reference to PPP founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s hanging on Supreme Court orders back in 1979.

He said three of the apex court judges were responsible for the division among brother judges and warned that those giving biased verdicts would be responsible if an emergency was to be imposed in the country to control the situation.

He said some egoist and intolerant people were bent upon damaging the country.

Former provincial minister and Punjab PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza said undemocratic and unelected institutions were still attacking the parliament.

Pakistan can move forward only by implementing Bhutto Shaheed’s constitution, he said, adding the martyrdom of Bhutto was a judicial murder and the PPP founder was a victim of judicial injustice.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2023