Is Pakistan headed towards martial law as political turmoil persists despite Supreme Court verdict?

On 4 April, Pakistan’s three Judge Supreme Court (SC) bench led by Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial expectedly quashed as `illegal and unconstitutional’ the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)’s 22 March order to hold the provincial assembly polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on 24 October. The CJ directed the Punjab Assembly poll to be held now on 14 May. Various stages of the fresh election process were also delineated, not waiting for the CEC to perform this role! Dates for the KP poll would be given on a subsequent petition.