Seeking full court, ruling allies appear before SC today.

LAHORE -- Top leaders from the ruling alliance on Sunday decided to appear along with their lawyers before the Chief Justice of Pakistan-led bench of the Supreme Court, seized with the case related to the Punjab chief minister's election, when the apex court resumes hearing on Monday.

The leaders of the ruling coalition also decided to formally file a petition with SC registrar's office seeking forAmation of a full court bench for hearing of all related petitions, including the Supreme Court Bar Association's (SCBA) petition seeking review of the SC's earlier opinion on ArtiAcle 63-A. They will address a presser in the morning before appearing in court with the same request, according to a statement by federal InforAmation Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

A source privy to the development said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari or Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and leaders of other coalition partners would be part of the leadership that will appear before Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial-led three-member bench.

The statement said the PPP, PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl would appear before the SC bench, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and other allied parties would also be among the petitioners. 'These are very important national, political and constitutional matters and the national economy is facing bankruptcy and the masses unemployment and poverty due to the political instability caused by them,' it explained.

The issue emerged when Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari on July 22 declared that votes of the PML-Q lawmakers in the runoff poll for the office of chief minister could not be counted as they were cast in violation of their party head Chaudhry Shujaat's directions.

Mr Mazari said he based his decision on the recent Supreme Court judgement on the April 16th CM's election in...