"Confusion over election ends after Supreme Court verdict," Kashif Abbasi's critical analysis

Transcript

00:00 Ashif sahab, we were waiting for the decision to be made.

00:03 The Supreme Court has now suspended the High Court's decision and has ordered the Election Commission to issue a formal ruling.

00:08 What will you comment on this, sir?

00:10 The confusion that was going on about whether there will be elections or not,

00:15 it's a good thing that the confusion has at least been resolved.

00:19 But there is one element, and we will learn this lesson from the past,

00:23 that the order of elections between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was given by the Supreme Court on 14th May,

00:31 was supposed to be held in both these provinces, but it was not held.

00:35 Even today, the letters that were read out, I remember the conditions at that time,

00:39 when the court was not ready to issue a judgment, a ruling, a security, or a payment.

00:45 But looking at the mood of the court today, I feel that the court is now

00:50 in a position to make a clear decision that elections will be held on 8th February.

00:57 It's a good thing, but elections should be held.

01:02 The issue of the democracy being derailed was being discussed there.

01:06 I feel that not only elections, but the court should also ensure that there are free and fair elections.

01:12 All parties should get a chance to campaign.

01:16 All parties should have their symbols.

01:18 All parties should have a hope.

01:20 And people should decide which party they want to vote for and which party they want to put in the government.

01:26 But the zero tolerance policy that has been seen today in the Supreme Court,

01:30 now it has become clear, at least to the extent of the near future, that elections will be held on 8th February.

01:36 In this, I don't see any mistake in the Supreme Court.

01:42 They have issued a contempt notice to Mr. Niazi, I forget his name,

01:49 he is a lawyer for the PTI, I think.

01:52 But I have seen a lot of statecraft in Pakistan.

01:58 One person took a petition and they violated the order of the Supreme Court.

02:06 But I think the three judges should have seen that a judge has given a verdict on him because of which all this happened.

02:13 If that judge had said that he should take it to the Supreme Court,

02:16 that this is a frivolous petition which we often hear,

02:18 sometimes he puts a complaint and returns the petition to the registrar.

02:21 So, we leave the big fish, we always go after the small fish.

02:29 But people have taken their own requests, I don't know his name,

02:36 I am sure you know his name, the one who was issued a contempt notice to Mr. Barrett.

02:41 He has a relationship with the PMOI, I think he is Mr. Niazi.

02:44 But anyway, it's okay, water under the bridge.

02:47 It is better that this matter is going on, it is going towards the elections.

02:53 We should try to make sure that the elections are held on time, free and fair.

02:59 This is democracy and people should use their rights and rights.

03:04 You are absolutely right that the elections should be held on time and free and fair.