ISLAMABAD: PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday criticised the Supreme Court’s ruling to fix May 14 as new Punjab poll date and described it as part of a conspiracy “that was started by rewriting the Constitution” to present the Punjab government to PTI chief Imran Khan.

“Today’s decision is the last blow of the conspiracy that was started by rewriting the Constitution to hand the Punjab government to the [Supreme Court] bench’s blue-eyed Imran on a plate [with the intention] that ‘dissolve it so that you can be re-selected in the presence and supervision of facilitators like us’,” she said in a Twitter post.

In another tweet, she alleged that the “work done by” former spymaster Faiz Hameed and former chief justices Asif Saeed Khosa and Saqib Nisar in 2018 had now been taken up by this Supreme Court bench. She was referring to the three apex court judges who were part of the bench hearing the polls delay case.

“A majority of the Supreme Court has revolted against this appalling and brazen facilitation and one-man show. It’s time that the parliament stop this facilitation with its constitutional and legal powers,” she said.

The top court’s verdict on Punjab Assembly elections was immediately rejected by the federal cabinet. Ms Sharif said this was not enough and “those who try to impose the blue-eyed by defying the Constitution and law should be brought to the dock”.

Later, when journalist Ajmal Jami in a tweet pointed out that rejecting the Supreme Court’s decision might lead to contempt of court and hence disqualification, Mr Sharif said, “So be it!”

She added: “[We have] faced disqualifications before for speaking the truth and will do it again. It should be remembered that the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif on a joke like Iqama [work permit] is still intact.”

Published in Dawn, April 5rd, 2023