Judiciary, executive trying to cool frayed tempers
PHOTO: FILE
Despite harsh political statements, backchannel contacts are still open between the judiciary and executive to ease the tensions, which have arisen after the Supreme Court’s decision to hold the elections in Punjab on May 14.
The federal government is also seriously evaluating the PTI leaders' desire to initiate negotiations on national issues, especially the conducting of the general elections.
The government has no hesitation to talk with the PTI on every matter but the real issue is that it completely lacks trust in party chief Imran Khan with his past record of backtracking from his commitments.
“Who will give the guarantee for his [Imran’s] future conduct”? a cabinet member told The Express Tribune.
Another leader commenting on the prevailing political situation said there were serious apprehensions among all segments of the society including the judiciary, establishment, media, etc that whenever the PTI chief would come into power, he would target them.
“Therefore, Imran should come forward and end this impression,” he added.
Sources told The Express Tribune that despite the SC ruling, the superior judiciary, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, still wanted that a dialogue should be initiated between political parties on the issue of elections.
Earlier during the hearing of the case, the CJP had urged political stakeholders to sit together to reach a consensus.
CJP Bandial is among those judges, who have never initiated contempt proceedings against political leaders or media personnel during their careers.
Therefore, it is unlikely that he -- following in the footsteps of ex-CJP Saqib Nisar and other former top judges -- would issue contempt notices to PML-N leaders, who are accusing him of being biased and a pro-PTI judge.
However, legal experts agree that the elections issue was poorly mishandled and that is why SC judges themselves are raising their voice over the judicial proceedings in the matter.
Questions are being raised on the legitimacy of court rulings.
It is learnt that the government might announce starting a dialogue with the PTI in the next couple of days.
Another ruling party, the PPP, also wants talks to be initiated on the elections issue with the opposition.
Despite the constitutional requirement of holding elections within 90 days, there is a realisation among all stakeholders that the polls for the National and provincial assemblies should be held on one date.
It is learnt that the security establishment has turned down the request to provide armed personnel for the provision of security for elections for the provincial and National assemblies if they were held separately.
The apex court is also facing a serious crisis as judges are divided into two camps.
There is need for the CJP -- being the head of the institution -- to take practical steps to end the mistrust between fellow judges.
The sources said the temperature was high in both camps of the SC judges.
Political analysts say that a dialogue within a “divided” SC is more important than negotiations between political rivals.
However, they agree if the temperature ‘outside' cools down, the situation may also change inside the apex court.
A lawyer, who is well-connected with both camps, revealed that there was realisation among some members on the two sides that the SC’s moral authority was being eroded on account of differences between judges.