Parliament will decide about polls: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD, April 26 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the Parliament would take a decision regarding the elections as the forum had already took legal and constitutional steps to address the pervading challenges.

Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, addressing a meeting of the coalition parties here, said in the recent past, the meetings were held to discuss the challenges and the remedial measures, and a joint session also took legal and constitutional steps in this regard. He said this was the government’s political and moral obligation to accept the Parliament’s decision.

As far as the dialogue for evolving a consensus on single election date was concerned, he said that there was an ‘overwhelming’ opinion among the coalition parties that the doors to dialogue should remain open.

He said there was also an opinion that a parliamentary committee might play a role in this regard as the government desired to evolve a consensus on election date and did not want to impede the process just to satisfy its ego.

He said despite the Parliament’s decision not to accept the three-member bench, the supreme court wanted to move forward with the same bench. He said the coalition parties were unanimous that they would accept the 4-3 verdict of the supreme court bench, not 2-3.

The prime minister said that the apex court should not be given the right to arbitrate as it was there to only give verdicts as per law and the constitution. He said that the coalition parties were unanimous that the elections would be held in October or November after the incumbent government completed its term on August 13.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that instead of suggesting the solutions, the PTI leadership tried to exploit the country’s challenging situation and also asked its provincial finance ministers to turn down the IMF conditions to impede the agreement.

Moreover, the party also tried to create a chaos and division within the society, he added. Even the armed forces and their leadership were not spared as some PTI agents from abroad were playing negative role in this regard.

The ruling coalition parties have decided to set aside personal ego and keep open the doors of dialogue with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the larger interest of the country. Shehbaz said it is overwhelming opinion of all coalition parties in the government that doors of dialogue should not be closed.

He said negotiations with PTI can be held through Speaker National Assembly or the Parliamentary Committee to reach consensus over holding elections simultaneously. The Prime Minister said Parliament is supreme to take decisions on all matters. He said the Supreme Court should give verdicts according to the law and the constitution instead of giving right of arbitration. He said the Supreme Court should respect the decisions and resolutions passed by the Parliament.