Islamabad: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said on Thursday that the Supreme Court cannot force the government to hold talks with the opposition. As per reports, a three-judge bench headed by CJP and comprising Justices Ejazul Ahsan and Muneeb Akhtar resumed hearing of the election delay matter. However, the hearing was adjourned barely an hour after it began, with the CJP saying that a detailed order would be issued later. In the last hearing, the court had asked political parties to respond by April 27 after holding talks on April 26 and giving stakeholders a chance to reach an agreement.
As per reports, the political parties were asked to decide the matter quickly, as the May 14 date for the election was still in the fray and the order was binding on all officials. However, no talks took place and the government also refused to comply with the April 4 directive. According to reports, a day earlier National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf wrote a letter to the CJP on the demands of the parliamentarians, saying it was best to leave the resolution of political matters to the parliament and political parties.
During the hearing on Thursday, the court questioned the seriousness of the government regarding talks. Justice Bandyal said, what steps has the government taken to show its goodwill in the talks? It seems like the government is playing around the corner. He also remarked that politicians should find solutions to problems themselves, saying that if differences are not resolved through dialogue, the Constitution and our order (on elections) remain in place.
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