Ruling coalition seething over SC ruling on Hamza's 'trustee CM' status

Kaira says party leader, not parliamentary party has mandate

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Sunday rejected the term “trustee chief minister”, saying the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) members violated the direction of the party head when there is no space of such transgressions in the constitution.

Commenting on the contentious Punjab chief minister's election on July 22 where PML-Q’s 10 votes were disregarded by the deputy speaker for having gone against the party supremo Chaudhry Shujaat’s decision, Kaira said that “it is the party’s leader who has people’s mandate”.

“A parliamentary party is formed after an election and only once elected individuals have become members," he explained during a press conference, “only the party head has the right” to define party direction.

Read PML-N toughens line after SC orders Hamza to work as ‘trustee CM’

He criticised the role of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for blaming and threatening the national institutions, and said “if he takes the law in his own hands, the law will get him”.

Moreover, he invited the PTI to “give up divisive politics” and “learn from our experience” that “being an angry young man does not get you very far in serving the country”.

Backing the ruling coalitions' call for a full bench review, the PM's aid said that he was confident their request will be entertained by the Supreme Court (SC).

However, when probed by the journalists present of what might happen in the event the apex court refuses to grant their wish, the PPP leader skirted around the issue and said “it would not be appropriate” to comment further.

PML-N reacts to Hamza’s ‘trustee CM’ status

Choosing a more aggressive tone, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique tweeted that the allied parties were “very clear” that “no more intrigue will be tolerated”.

no more intrigue will b tolerated by PDM and allies
very clear ..

— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) July 24, 2022

Last night, he had also said that “only politicians will decide” when the elections will take place, “nobody else”.

ہم چاہتے ہیں یہ لڑائی جنگ میں نہ بدلے مگر اس کیلئے یہ غیر ملکی سازش کا جھوٹ،یہ غداری کے جھوٹے طعنے،یہ بدزبانی،یہ گالیاں ،دھمکیاں بند کرنی پڑیں گی ۔پاکستان میں الیکشن اپنے وقت پر ہوں گے اور اگر اپنے وقت سے پہلے ہوں گے تو اسکا فیصلہ کوئی اور نہیں کرے گا پاکستان کے سیاستدان کریں گے pic.twitter.com/AIXSS94yNW

— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) July 23, 2022

Read more Ruling coalition requests full bench in Punjab CM election case

Following the same tone, party's Vice President Maryam Nawaz “disapproved” the SC decision and said that if courts “repeatedly make specific decisions through the same bench, negate its own decisions and throw their weight behind the same side then we should not be expected to bow our heads in front of such unilateral decisions”

موجودہ سیاسی انتشار اور عدم استحکام کا سلسلہ اس عدالتی فیصلے سے شروع ہوتا ہے جس کے ذریعے آئین کی من مانی تشریح کرتے ہوئے اپنی مرضی سے ووٹ دینے والوں کے ووٹ نہ گننے کا حکم جاری ہوا ۔آج اس کی ایک نئی تشریح کی جا رہی ہے تاکہ اب بھی اسی لاڈلے کو فائدہ پہچنے جسے کل پہنچا تھا!نا منظور!

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 23, 2022

اگر انصاف کے ایوان بھی دھونس، دھمکی،بدتمیزی اور گالیوں کےدباؤ میں آ کر بار بار ایک ہی بنچ کے ذریعے مخصوص فیصلے کرتےہیں،اپنے ہی دیے فیصلوں کی نفی کرتے ہیں،سارا وزن ترازو کے ایک ہی پلڑے میں ڈال دیتے ہیں تو ایسے یکطرفہ فیصلوں کے سامنے سر جھکانے کی توقع ہم سے نا رکھی جائے۔بہت ہو گیا!

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 23, 2022

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal also said that “the whole nation is shocked and worried” and questioned, “If Chaudhry Shujaat does not have the right as president [to issue directives to party members], then how was it given to Imran Niazi?”

پوری قوم حیران و پریشان ہے کہ وہ کیسی جماعتی سربراہی ہے جو عمران نیازی کو اختیار دیتی ہے کہ اپنے اراکین اسمبلی کو ہدایت جاری کر سکے لیکن چوہدری شجاعت حسین کو یہ اختیار نہیں دیتی؟ اگر چوہدری شجاعت کا بحیثیت صدر اختیار نہیں تو عمران نیازی کو یہ کیسے دیا گیا تھا؟

— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) July 23, 2022

Another PML-N member, Hina Parvez Butt retorted: “Everyone already knows the decision when ‘their’ bench is formed, why?”

جب “ان” کا بنچ بنے تو فیصلے کا سب کو پہلے سے پتا ہوتا ہے، کیوں؟؟؟

— Hina Parvez Butt (@hinaparvezbutt) July 23, 2022

The SC on Saturday had directed that Hamza Shehbaz would remain as a ‘trustee’ chief minister of Punjab by July 25 (Monday) -- the next date of hearing -- after the lawyer representing the deputy speaker of the provincial assembly could not satisfy the bench over the latter's ruling wherein 10 PML-Q MPAs’ votes were rejected in a recount for the election of the province’s top slot held a day earlier.

The top court had also directed that Hamza would neither use his powers for political gain nor take major initiatives or decisions until then.

A three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhter, was hearing a plea at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry filed by PML-Q leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi -- who was also the other candidate for the CM slot