Rigging allegations: Govt yet to decide about judicial commission

The PM also wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a commission


Our Correspondent March 03, 2015
The PTI’s counsel claimed that the ballot papers issued at the polling stations were doubtful. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI:


The government has yet to take a decision on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) demand for the formation a judicial commission, comprising three sitting judges of the Supreme Court, to hold an inquiry into alleged rigging during the May 2013 general elections.


This was disclosed by the federal law officer before the Sindh High Court during the hearing of a petition challenging the formation of the proposed commission, according to the reply filed by the ministry of law and justice. The reply said the petition against the formation of the proposed judicial commission is not maintainable for hearing since petitioner Imtiaz Khan Faran is not himself aggrieved by this action.

Khan’s attorney had pleaded the court declare the proposed formation of the judicial commission unconstitutional. The secretaries of the federal law ministry and the Election Commission of Pakistan were named as respondents in the petition, which stated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced the formation of a judicial commission.

The petitioner said the PM also wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a commission to launch an in-depth investigation into the rigging allegations.

Khan’s attorney argued no court, institution or authority, except the election tribunals, could question the elections to the parliament and provincial assemblies as was clearly mandated by Article 225. He added that any violation of the Constitution would subvert the legal process in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2015.

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