‘No end to crisis’: Political experts pessimistic on implementation of SC verdict

The Supreme Court (SC) announced on Wednesday that the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) need to be conducted within the 90-day period. 

The decision, hailed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), says that the federal government needs to hold elections in the given time. 

However, political experts were of the view that the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will fail to implement the top court's order, further deepening the political crisis in the country. 

Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail believe that the Supreme Court has interfered in this matter and that the suo motu notice shouldn't have been taken related to this issue, said senior journalist Hamid Mir.

He said that the elections will likely be held on April 9, the same date that was announced by President Arif Alvi.

Mir added that the president has authority in the province of Punjab but not the KP because the governor in Punjab did not dissolve the assembly.

"All the state institutions are responsible to follow the Supreme Court's orders," he added.

He said that he believes that the government will now find ways to not implement the apex court's orders. He said that a new petition will be filed in this regard as the government and the ECP would not implement the orders.

"New petitions will be filed by the stakeholders seeking contempt of court against the chief election commissioner and the prime minister, defence minister and interior minister and the issue will continue," he added.

Those who don't want to implement the order will have an advantage because of the two judges who were against the court order.

He said that another matter will come to light as President Alvi's lawyer Salman Akram Raja had said that his client has decided to withdraw his notification for the general elections in KP and conceded that the president went beyond his constitutional powers and that he did not have the right to announce the election date in the province.

"As per the order, the government and the ECP must implement these orders but they will not do so as they have many excuses," said the journalist.

'Political instability to deepen'

Senior journalist Shahzeb Khanzada said that the matter will go into litigation further as the government clearly does not want to conduct elections within 90 days.

It was earlier predicted that a split verdict will be announced, he said, adding that the two judges were against the suo motu notice on the matter.

He agreed with Mir and said that the country will further spiral into the crisis because a lot of questions need to be addressed. 

"A new government will take over the provinces after the elections. But when the general elections take place in October, and if PML-N wins in Punjab in the provincial polls, then Imran Khan will not accept these elections and will not take part in the general polls," he said.

"If PTI wins in Punjab then the PDM will not accept these elections and then the National Assembly elections will be controversial," he said.

Khanzada said that the party that loses will not accept the elections on the National Assembly and call them "rigged" which will further increase the crisis and political instability.