SC verdict introduced 'super' doctrine of necessity: Punjab minister

• Punjab minister says damage inflicted on Pakistan.
• Why so much love for a party, asks Azma Bokhari.
• Court provided relief to PTI which it didn't its ask, she says.

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information Azma Bokhari on Saturday slammed the Supreme Court verdict in the reserved seats case, saying it introduced a "super" doctrine of necessity.

In a fiery press conference in Lahore, Bokhari said the apex court order provided a relief to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that it had not even sought.

"Nations always suffered loss because of the doctrine of necessity," she said, adding that damage was inflicted on Pakistan in love for the blue-eyed boy.

“(In the plea,) the PTI did not even ask for the reserved seats (for itself), but they have been granted those for free. Why is there so much love for a party? The ladla (blue-eyed boy) is provided relief, even if he does not ask for it,” she retorted.

In a major legal victory for the PTI, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the party is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats.

The decision has not only paved the way for the PTI's return to the parliament, which was kicked out of the February 8 polls owing to the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) December 2023 ruling.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the SC's full bench announced the 8-5 majority verdict, nullifying the Peshawar High Court's (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the ECP’s decision denying the reserved seats to the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

The order was endorsed by Justice Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan.

In its verdict, the top court declared that the lack or denial of an election symbol does not in any manner affect the Constitutional or legal rights of a political party to participate in an election, whether general or by, and to field candidates and that the commission is under a Constitutional duty to apply all statutory provisions accordingly.

Commenting on the order, Azma Bokhari said the verdict has opened the doors for floor-crossing and the one who was not a party in the case was provided relief, without hearing any affected party, she said.

“The constitution does not grant unlimited power to anyone,” she said adding that the judiciary and doctors had no room for error.