ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday afforded a temporary respite to the country`s main political parties, giving them a week to develop a consensus on the date for elections to the provincial and national assemblies, so they could be held simultaneously across the country.

Headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, a three-judge bench consisting of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar sought a progress report on April 27 about the upcoming meeting of political leaders slated for April 26.

The directions came after Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan, along with Senator Farooq Naek, met with judges in chambers on Thursday evening as directed by the court earlier in the day to apprise them of deliberations among senior cabinet members and their interaction with the PTI leadership.

The AGP and Mr Naek requested a recess on account of the Eidul Fitr holidays, because several political leaders and party heads had already left or wereleaving Islamabad for their hometowns. But a meeting is scheduled for April 26, they assuredthejudges.

Around the same time, a number of lawyers, PTI leaders and senior officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were patiently waiting insideCourtroom No.1, believing that the judges will assemble in court since the CJP before closing morning proceedings had fixed further hearing for 4pm.

The parties waited until 5:20pm, when the court staff informed them that the proceedings would be held on April 27.

Political parties impress CJP Meanwhile, in an order that was released later, the CJP observed that positive statements of leaders representing all major political parties with respect to the simultaneous conduct of general elections `gives cause for optimism that they would agree to the election date sooner rather than later`. `We are cognisant that if political dialogue extends to address all grievances, then it is likely to be a lengthy process and the correct forum for that is the political arena and political institutions, the order said, adding that the court did not find any reservations to the negotiations being centred solely on a onepoint agenda, namely, consensual fixation of election date for which was a constitutional and legal question.

The court stressed that it was important that such a result was accomplished expeditiously because its order to fix election to the Punjab Assembly on May 14 was in the field and binding on all judicial and executive authorities under Article 189 and Article 190 of the constitution.

Need for flexibility Earlier, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq who recently met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PTI Chairman Imran Khan told the court that dialogue and consultation was not just an option in public affairs, but a duty as enunciated in the Holy Quran.

For a political dialogue, it was essential for all participants to be flexible about their respective positions and the approach of the parties should not be dictated by ego or pride, he said.

`We can emerge victorious... if the polls were held in a way that no one could point fingers... this was only possible if PDM coalition partners, as well as the PTI, take a step back from their stated positions.

If the constitutional mandate of 90 days could now become 105 days then thereis no harm if the same is further extended to 205 days, he suggested. Mr Haq also clarified that he was not acting on the establishment`s behalf.

On behalf of the PPP, Farooq H. Naek stated that a process for conducting dialogue has been initiated within the coalition partners and that it was agreed that heads of all political parties will meet with the opposition parties to arrive at a consensual date for simultaneous elections.

Khawaja Saad Rafique appeared on behalf of PML-N and endorsed the statement of the PPP leader and expressed the willingness of his party to enter into negotiations for elections simultaneously.

PPP`s Qamar Zaman Kaira, Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani of MQM-P, Tariq Bashir Cheema of PML-Q, Israrullah Tareen of BAP and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N also addressed the court and supported the views expressed by Mr Naek and Mr Rafique.

Opposed to open-ended process Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi assured the court his party was willing to move forward within the framework of the Constitution to negotiate a date for the simultaneous elections.

However, he emphasised that the process of negotiations should not be openended and not be turned into a ploy for delaying elections, which was the apprehension of his party. He also emphasised that such a process should be regulated by a timeframe to ensure that the outcome was accomplished expeditiously, failing which the court`s decision for May 14 elections should be complied with.