ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has called for a notification regarding the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).
“PTI demands that a notification be issued regarding the next CJP,” Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said while talking to the media along with other party leaders on Monday.
“We want to make it clear that an extension [in the terms of the incumbent CJP] is completely unacceptable.”
PTI’s demand came when Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar clarified last month that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa was not interested in extending it.
In an interview with Private News program Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on July 13, the Law Minister said that CJP Isa told him [Tarar] in the presence of the Attorney General that there were rumors about his [Isa’s] extension and that even if the rumors were true, he should not interest.
The erstwhile ruling party’s demand for notification of the next chief justice is not entirely unwarranted as the name of the incumbent CJP came to fore on June 21 last year, almost two months before he was sworn in on September 17, 2023.
The incumbent Chief Justice, the 29th CJP of Pakistan, is scheduled to retire from the top judicial post on October 25, 2024.
In an interaction with the media today, Gohar also expressed reservations over the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict on the recount of National Assembly seats – NA-154, 81 and 79, giving the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) much needed relief.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court of the country set aside the verdict of the Lahore High Court (LHC) which declared the recount of votes in three NA constituencies where PML-N candidates were declared victorious as invalid.
“Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) have taken oath and their cancellation is contrary to justice,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court’s three-seat verdict was contrary to what justice required.
The PTI chief announced that the party would file a review petition against the verdict as the party had reservations about the verdict.
He termed the Supreme Court verdict as a conspiracy against the party, saying that earlier the party had faced a conspiracy to take away its election symbol, which would result in PTI losing its seats.
However, people foiled this plot on February 8, he added.
“Subsequently, there was an attempt to rid the party of reserved seats, however, the party was successful in this matter as well,” he added.
“Another attempt is now underway in the form of a ‘recount’ to win back the PTI’s won seats.”
