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

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”.

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

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”

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?”

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

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