LONDON    -    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Shar­if Tuesday rejected the Supreme Court of Pa­kistan’s verdict nullify­ing the Election Com­mission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to post­pone Punjab elections, calling for submitting a reference against the three-member Su­preme Court bench.

Addressing a press conference via video link, the former premier said that the verdict enough charge sheet to file reference against the SC three-mem­ber bench, which com­prised of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ija­zul Ahsan, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar. “This isn’t a verdict, it’s a one man show. Reference against anyone acting beyond constitutional boundaries has to be filed in Supreme Judicial Council” the former PM said. Nawaz Sharif point­ed out that the judges in the three-member bench were the same judges who disqual­ified him for life-time, ques­tioning how the same judges would pronounce any verdict in favour of him. He demand­ed that a reference should be filed against them in the Su­preme Judicial Council (SJC) for a ‘partisan judgment to facilitate one person’. Com­menting on the SC verdict, Nawaz Sharif said SC judg­es had re-written the Consti­tution in the past and no one feels any ashamed or pity on the decisions. “What was the hurdle behind forming no full court bench,” he asked. The former prime minister add­ed that those who violated the constitution were allowed to amend the constitution ‘as a reward.’ He alleged that for­mer chief of army staff (COAS) Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Ba­jwa and Faiz Hameed oust­ed him as prime minister, and “both of them led Pakistan on the path of destruction by bringing Imran Khan”. “If such decisions are made, the dollar will further appreci­ate against rupees, while in­flation will also increase,” he said. For Pakistan to survive, the Parliament will have to assert its authority.” Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declared the Election Commission of Paki­stan’s (ECP) March 22 order on Pnjab elections null and void. Earlier on April 1, Inte­rior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government was considering filing a reference against three judges of Su­preme Court (SC), including the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, who heard PTI’s petition against delay in elections of Punjab Assembly. Speaking to an in­ternational media outlet, the interior minister said that the matter of the filing of a reference against three judg­es – CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Jus­tice Muneeb Akhtar – “is un­der discussion but there has been no decision on it yet”.