LAHORE - Special Assistant to Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that a conspiracy was hatched by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the country when the then deputy speaker Qasim Suri announced dissolution of the National Assembly unconstitutionally. Later, two provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were also dissolved by the PTI government illegally, he added. Addressing a press conference at Model Town, he said that the assembly could not be dissolved after a no confidence motion was presented in the house. It was unprecedented in the history that the votes cast in favour of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance candidate in the Punjab province were not counted and the members were also de-seated, he added. The SAPM recalled that no meeting of the PTI parliamentary party in Punjab was held, and an attempt was made to rewrite the Constitution just to facilitate a political party. He said that it was surprising that elections were announced in Punjab whereas no decision was taken on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) assembly.
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He said elections should be held across the country simultaneously as the PTI had nothing to do with the country and it was bent upon spreading chaos and anarchy in society. He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was never afraid of going into elections; however, it wanted that level playing field should be ensured for all parties. The SAPM said the Parliament termed the Supreme Court decision an interference in its affairs, while Justice Athar Minallah said in his dissenting note that suo motu notice should be taken by keeping in mind intentions of the petitioner. He said that the Parliament was the supreme institution of the country and it had passed a resolution over the court judgment. He said not only the major political parties called for a full court bench on the Punjab polls’ issue, but it was also the opinion of four SC judges, who stated that the case had become controversial and it was imperative to form the full court bench in order to maintain people’s trust in courts. Tarar regretted that the powers of suo moto were being used by the apex court mostly over political matters which was equal to intervention in political affairs. Justice Minallah also said that the judges should keep them aside from political parties, he added. In view of the current circumstances, the chief justice of Pakistan should resign from the post, he demanded.
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He said that the PML-N had respect for the judiciary; however, the apex court had become controversial like it was never before. To a question, he said the law-enforcement agencies had arrested a terrorist in Balochistan which would help eliminate such elements who were creating unrest in the country. He lauded the role and bravery of the law enforcement agencies which carried out a successful operation. To another query, he said that all political parties in the ruling alliance were united and decisions were being taken with consultation.