‘Judicial coup’: Strong backlash by coalition partners after SC instates Pervez Elahi as CM

The coalition government Tuesday strongly responded to the Supreme Court’s verdict to place Pervez Elahi as Punjab’s chief minister, removing Hamza Shahbaz from the province’s top office.

The Supreme Court declared Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab Chief Minister’s election “illegal” and ruled that PTI’s candidate Pervez Elahi will be the new CM of the province.

Read more: Pervez Elahi is now CM Punjab, rules Supreme Court, removes Hamza Shahbaz

The three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar — also ordered Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman to administer the oath to Elahi at 11:30pm, adding that if he refuses to perform his duties, President Arif Alvi will administer the oath.

“Judicial coup,” PML-N Vice President #said in a tweet, who had hours before the verdict asked the government to take a firm stand on the matter.

She also termed the decision “the murder of justice.”

In his tweet, Labour Minister Sindh and PPP leader Saeed Ghani said he was amazed that the top court instructed either the governor or the president to administer the oath to Elahi.

“If we say something, then they will hold us in contempt,” Ghani said.

Talking to a private news channel, PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said that his party does not accept the top court’s “one-sided” decision and that they would now approach the “people’s court”.

“We do not accept this one-sided decision, we were not heard,” Chaudhry said, mentioning that the PML-N has been facing “injustice” since 2017.