Justice has won, mandate respected : PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the ruling of the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker, saying justice has won and the mandate of the people of Pakistan has been respected.

Talking to the media outside the Supreme Court Tuesday, Qureshi said: “I want to congratulate that justice has been won today, the supremacy of the Constitution has been accepted. And the mandate of the people has been respected.” He said that the people of Punjab had sent a clear message on July 17 that they had wholeheartedly accepted a narrative that Imran Khan had presented to the nation.

Qureshi said that the elected representatives had elected Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as Chief Minister of Punjab with a clear majority of 186 votes while his rival Hamza Shehbaz could get only 179 votes.

Speaking on the ruling by the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, he said his role was shameful. The PTI leader accused him of trampling the Constitution and alleged he did not follow the principles. He said he was elected on the PTI ticket but he did not take it into account, adding that he did not even take into account the law.

Qureshi said that the Supreme Court had tolerated government’s threats with great courage. “These people tried to use delaying tactics and demanded formation of a full bench, we are grateful to our lawyers and Ali Zafar for fighting the case with dignity,” he contended.

He also said he was grateful to the judiciary that tolerated indecent acts, adding that the law minister intimated the court by taking the rostrum. He said it had proved that Pakistan’s judiciary was independent and it was committed to defending the Constitution.

“I want to congratulate the PTI workers, the people of Pakistan, people of democratic values and lawyers. I think Pakistan’s politics will take a new turn after this decision and Imran Khan will soon approach the people, hopefully the people of Pakistan will support him to get this country out of this swamp,” he maintained.

He also paid tributes to the Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPAs for coming to the court to prove that they did not take into account Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s letter.

To a question, Qureshi said that the permanent solution was in a clean and transparent election. He said Pervaiz Elahi would take oath and he had entrusted his powers to Imran Khan, adding that he would work in consultation with the PTI. “We have a special agenda, by fulfilling our agenda, we wish to go to people and take a fresh mandate.”

Qureshi said he would ask Shehbaz Sharif not to test the people any more, resign in a dignified manner, dissolve assemblies, prepare for new elections and give the nation a chance to elect its representatives.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said that Pakistan’s politics had taken a new turn in the last four months. He said it was not the first time in Pakistan’s history that a mandate had been taken away through closed door conspiracies, adding that the people had proved that they were with their leader Imran Khan.