The apex court bench, headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, heard Sharif brothers’ eligibility case. According to the verdict, Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab government has been restored and Shahbaz will continue serving as chief minister till the Supreme Court passes a final verdict into Sharif brothers’ eligibility case.
The court on February 25 disqualified Nawaz Sharif and his brother and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif from contesting elections and holding public office, a decision which caused widespread protests and flung the country into weeks of political chaos.
The government on March 19 filed appeals against the decision and has since reinstated Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in a package of measures designed to defuse the standoff.
"The supreme court has suspended the February 25 decision," Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a lawyer and leader in Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) party, told reporters outside the court.
