Security tightened as PTI-backed lawyers gathered outside apex court; CJP rejects Fawad Chayhdry's plea

A signboard pointing towards the Supreme Court building. — SC website

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday urged the Supreme Court to form a new bench comprising judges who did not hear the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election suo motu notice to oversee the ongoing polls delay matter.

The government filed an application for the formation of a new bench through Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan.

In the application, the AGP called on the three-member comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, not to hear the case.

The application was filed hours before the bench — headed by CJP Bandial — was set to take up the suo motu as well as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition challenging the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for postponing the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkwa to October 8.

Meanwhile, the chief justice also rejected PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry's request to open entry routes to the Red Zone which had been barricaded to ensure security.

Fawad appeared before the CJP and asked him to take notice of the matter, to which, Justice Bandial said the administration is taking necessary steps to maintain law and order.

Earlier, a report carried by The News, citing sources, had stated that AGP Awan will submit before the three-member bench that the parties included in the ruling alliance did not trust the bench and for this reason, the matter should be taken up by a full court bench.

In case the plea is not granted by the chief justice, the AGP would beg to leave the case and inform the court about the decision of the ruling alliance to boycott the proceedings.

In principle, the objection would be raised on behalf of three major parties of the ruling alliance — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F).

The component parties of the ruling alliance sought acknowledgment as respondents at the initial stage but till the last hearing, they were not accepted as a party by the court.

PDM may boycott proceedings

Meanwhile, the counsel representing the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will chalk out a strategy together with the AGP in the SC today, before the commencement of the hearing in the matter.

Kamran Murtaza, counsel for the JUI-F, told The News that they will argue before the court after receiving instructions from the PDM leadership.

He said the leadership will decide whether they should boycott the proceedings of the court or not.

As the court has already declined to constitute a full court bench, therefore, it will be decided whether the proceedings should be boycotted or not, he added.

The PDM last week expressed dissatisfaction with the bench hearing the matter and had urged for the formation of a full court.

During the last hearing, AGP Mansoor Usman Awan, as well as the Pakistan Bar Council, had requested the court to constitute a full court for hearing the matter.

The CJP-led bench, however, rejected the government's request.

The court has also summoned the secretary of finance and secretary of defence for today.