Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has sharply criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling that allocated reserved seats to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urging the judiciary to focus on the nation’s progress. Speaking in Lahore on Friday, Maryam questioned the judiciary’s intentions, accusing it of “rewriting the Constitution” to benefit a particular political figure, whom she described as a criminal.

Maryam Nawaz expressed frustration that the July 12 Supreme Court decision, which declared PTI eligible for reserved seats, allowed the party to re-enter parliament despite its exclusion from the February 8 elections due to a prior ruling by the Election Commission of Pakistan. She warned that this decision would alter the National Assembly’s dynamics and put additional strain on the coalition government.

Read more: Supreme Court Grants Reserved Seats Eligibility to PTI

She criticized the Supreme Court for granting PTI advantages it did not request and for giving the party 15 days to affirm its allegiance, despite previous declarations of loyalty to another party. Maryam insisted that the current government will complete its term and warned against attempts to destabilize it, asserting that judicial decisions should be based on the Constitution rather than personal biases.

Maryam Nawaz also condemned efforts to reintegrate what she termed “the nation’s criminal” and questioned the sources of his support. She decried a “small group” of individuals for impeding national development and reiterated that the Constitution does not support floor-crossing, contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling.