PTI condemns reference against IHC judge, calls for judicial independence

Party urges CJP to determine persons responsible for this ‘organised campaign’

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly condemned the reference filed in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against the judge of Islamabad High Court, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. The misconduct reference against Justice Kayani is part of the government's efforts to intimidate and harass judges, it said.

Following the core committee meeting on Monday, the party issued session declaration, emphasising that the reference of misconduct against a certain judge after sending threatening letters to honourable judges, who revealed the interference of secret agencies in judicial affairs, is a sign of organised anti-judiciary plan.

Taking notice of the incidents of direct and indirect harassment of the judges of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of Pakistan should determine the persons responsible for this organised campaign, it said.

The committee also vehemently condemned the jail administration for preventing Dr Asim from attending the medical check-up of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail. It requested the court to take notice of the obstruction in the medical check-up of former premier and to grant permission to Dr Asim to conduct his medical examination.

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It also decided to boycott the unconstitutional election of Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Senate and demanded postponement of the election until the presence of senators from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the House. The committee underscored that the election of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate without representation of all federal units in the Senate is unconstitutional and unacceptable.

The core committee also criticised the jail administration for not allowing PTI founder chairman Imran Khan, vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Tehreek-e-Insaf President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to meet their families during Eid holidays. It requested the court to take notice of depriving Khan, Qureshi and Elahi of their constitutional right of meeting on behalf of the jail administration.

On the completion of two years of the ‘Regime Change Operation’ on April 9, the party asked the nation to protest peacefully. “Go out peacefully to the Pakistani nation and hoist the flag of Pakistan and PTI to show solidarity with your beloved leader Imran Khan.”