Pakistan Supreme Court puts off bypoll in Sharif constituency

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed a crucial parliamentary bypoll in former premier Nawaz Sharif’s constituency...

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed a crucial parliamentary bypoll in former premier Nawaz Sharif’s constituency in Lahore while it decides on a Government appeal against his disqualification.

The Government moved the apex court after the Lahore High Court on Monday barred the two-time premier from participating in by-election for the National Assembly, leading to strained relations between his PML-N party and its ally, the ruling PPP.

PML-N lawmakers on Tuesday protested outside Parliament against the High Court ruling, prompting Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani to announce that the government would appeal against Sharif’s disqualification in the apex court.

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The Government filed its appeal in the Supreme Court this morning. In response, a three-judge bench of the apex court stayed polling in a constituency in Lahore from where Sharif had planned to contest Thursday’s bypoll.

After issuing notices to various parties involved in the matter, the Supreme Court set the next hearing of the case on June 30.

Deputy Attorney General Raja Abdur Rehman, who represented the Government, described the apex court’s decision as a “victory of the rule of law”.

“The Lahore High Court had no jurisdiction to decide an election dispute,” he said.

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