The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) withdrew on Monday its contempt plea from the Supreme Court (SC) seeking action against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Punjab government for violating the apex court’s order on ensuring a level-playing field for the party in the upcoming elections.
The party also withdrew its petition regarding the same matter from the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Express News reported.
A three-member apex court bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard the case.
During the SC proceedings today, Justice Hilali questioned PTI counsel Sardar Latif Khosa about the news of PTI’s alliance with another party. Khosa in response claimed that the PTI was not even being allowed to forge an alliance with any other party.
“We came to the top court seeking a level-playing field, but the [SC’s] decision has shattered the party by taking away its electoral symbol, with it depriving the party of 230 seats across the country,” said Khosa.
Justice Hilali further inquired the counsel over his remarks that the ECP was only targeting the PTI and not any other party.
Khosa cited the example of the electoral watchdog returning the Awami National Party (ANP) its electoral symbol while revoking the PTI’s.
At this, CJP Isa clarified to the PTI lawyer that the ANP was returned the symbol because, as per the party’s constitution, it had time to hold intra-party polls.
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The CJP Isa stressed on Khosa to clearly state whether his party wished to pursue the case further, or not.
To this, the counsel replied that the SC’s January 13 verdict took the PTI’s field away. He added that the “election body can only withdraw electoral symbols, but in the PTI’s case an entire party is being banned from parliament”.
To Justice Hilali’s question about having doubts on the transparency of the upcoming polls, the PTI lawyer remarked that the elections were totally unfair. Khosa stated that “the court’s verdict will destroy democracy”.
In response to this, CJP Isa reprimanded Khosa asking him to not burden the court with the SC’s past judgments.
He added that the PTI was repeatedly asked to prove the intra-party elections which it failed to do. “There is nothing we can do if the PTI does not like the court’s order” said CJP Isa.
The chief justice stated that the SC passed relevant orders regarding ensuring a level-playing field was provided ot the party, mentioning that the police personnel involved in the raid at PTI Chairman Gauhar Ali Khan’s residence have been suspended.
“On the PTI’s request, the court raised the matter of elections and fixed the polling date within 12 days,” said the chief justice,
“Our job is to conduct elections as per the law,, not become the government” CJP Isa remarked. He added that if the PTI had any objection regarding any other political party then it should bring forth a petition.
