The die is cast

• For whom the bell tolls next?

The axe has fallen on Nawaz Sharif. The former PM is no more the PML-N chief. All decisions taken by him in his capacity as party president are null and void, including the nominations sent under his signatures for the Senate elections. The punishment does not debar him from criticising the judgment or taking part in politics as a citizen but he cannot hold the position of the party head under any name, be it that of party Rahbar or ‘guide’ as was done by the ANP to allow Wali Khan to lead from the back. A three member SC bench has thus endorsed the verdict delivered earlier by a five member bench. Whether the former PM goes into appeal or seeks the endorsement of the Parliament to undo the decision remains to be seen. There are as many opinions as there are lawyers regarding the implications of the verdict from the validity of the nomination of Khaqan Abbassi as prime minister to position of PML-N candidates who won the by-elections in Lodhran, Chakwal, and Sargodha. Only the publication of the detailed judgment would clarify the situation. One thing however remains beyond doubt. Unless the PML-N urgently elects a new president and he sends afresh the list of PML-N nominees to the ECP who in turn extend the date for submitting nomination papers which expired of February 6, the Senate election are bound to delayed.

There should be no jubilation among the opposition parties over the verdict. As long as the vague and controversial clauses in Articles 62 and 63 remain on the statute book, it would be uncertain whose turn comes next.

Creating confrontation between the Parliament and SC must be avoided. The PML-N managed to get the Elections bill 2018 through Senate by the skin of its teeth. Keeping in view that only a single vote decided the fate of the bill it is uncertain if the feat would succeed this time. The attempt to pit the Parliament against the SC will weaken the system, bring in the ultimate arbiters and give a free play to forces opposed to democracy.