CJP Isa pushes PTI on back foot

Top judge questions lack of proof to justify ‘enforced disappearances’ of party leaders

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has pushed the PTI on the back foot by raising questions about the lack of material to justify senior politician and lawyer Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan’s petition on the “enforced disappearances” of party leaders.

There is a chance that Ahsan may himself appear before a three-judge Supreme Court bench led by the CJP on Wednesday (today) to justify his plea.
So far, CJP Isa is not satisfied with Ahsan’s locus standi to approach the SC against the alleged enforced disappearances of PTI leaders.

He observed that apparently the petition was filed for the “benefit” of a political party. The CJP noted that those mentioned in the petition were missing in 2023, but now they had returned and left the PTI.

These individuals did not give any statement about their “enforced disappearances”. It is clear that there is a severe clash between the ‘powerful circles' and the PTI since the change of regime through a no-confidence resolution against former premier Imran Khan.

Read Will PTI find relief from Isa-led SC?

Their clash further intensified after last year’s riots on May 9. Former CJP Umar Ata Bandial tried hard to give relief to the PTI in difficult times, but he could not succeed. PTI supporters have targeting Justice Isa on social media platforms ever since he took over as the CJP in September last year.

The PTI wants judicial intervention in every important matter but at the same time, a campaign is under way against CJP Isa on social media outlets. However, this strategy has not worked yet.

It is fact that there is charged environment wherein both sides – the PTI and its opponents -- are pressuring the superior judiciary. The PTI seeks the courts’ intervention to provide it with a level playing field in the run up to the next general elections. However, the other sides are opposing the interference of the courts in matters related to the general polls.

A three-judge bench led by acting CJP Sardar Tariq Masood took up the PTI petition for providing the party with a level playing field in the run up to the upcoming general polls. The bench grilled the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not resolving the grievances of the PTI candidates.

Read SC seeks lasting fix for missing persons’ issue

Subsequently, the high courts also started giving relief to the PTI. Since the SC's intervention, some judges are facing criticism on social media platforms for their remarks in favour of the PTI leaders.

Now the main question being discussed is whether or not the superior judiciary will compel the ECP to allot the electoral symbol of the ‘cricket bat’ to the PTI. A three-judge bench led by CJP Isa will take up the PTI's contempt petition on Wednesday (today) against the ECP for not implementing the SC's order to resolve the grievances of the party leaders that they have not been provided with a level playing field.

A senior politician says that there is a consensus that if the PTI receives its popular electoral symbol, it will become the biggest party in the upcoming general polls. He believes that the elections will be delayed if the PTI receives its electoral symbol through the superior judiciary.