The locks put on the institution of judiciary by a dictator were broken by the masses on March 16: Shahbaz Sharif -AP Photo

LAHORE Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif have welcomed the Supreme Court decision as 'vindication of public aspirations.'

'The judiciary has now started giving popular decisions,' Nawaz told newsmen at his Raiwind residence here after the apex court verdict.

Referring to his earlier disqualification by a three-man bench, the former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N chief said it won little approval from the masses.

He told a questioner that he did not know how and on whose order the verdict was given against him.

Asked whether he would contest the NA-123 (Lahore) or NA-55 (Rawalpindi) elections, he said all such decisions would be taken by the party.

However, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said at a separate media talk that the party chief would be fielded from NA-55.

Replying to a question about the Balochistan situation, Nawaz said all the political and religious parties should play their role in bringing the province into the mainstream and instead of leaving its people in the lurch.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz said the judiciary that won its independence on March 16 had started giving independent decisions, rekindling hopes of millions of justice-seekers.

He said the locks put on the institution of judiciary by a dictator were broken by the masses on March 16.

He said Nawaz, after winning from NA-55, would work in the parliament for the repeal of the 17th Amendment.

He said appointments to higher courts must be made in accordance with the Charter of Democracy.

He hoped that judicial authorities would purge the institution of corruption as the Punjab government had increased salaries of lower courts' officials to make them free from economic troubles.

He told a questioner the SC verdict would not affect the PPP-PML-N relationship in Punjab.