Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Hamid Khan has announced that the party will challenge the 26th Constitutional Amendment in court, alleging that PTI members were 'threatened and that horse-trading' occurred to ensure the amendments' passage.
Speaking alongside former Supreme Court Bar President Abid Zuberi outside the Supreme Court, Hamid condemned the events as a 'dark chapter in Pakistan's history.'
He stated that, "We lawyers reject this amendment and consider it unconstitutional," pledging to form an action committee involving members from the High Court Bar Association, Supreme Court Bar, and district courts to devise a plan of action.
Hamid further stated that after October 25, the judiciary would work to protect itself, emphasising that PTI would only recognise the senior-most judge as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
He declared, “We will not accept anyone as Chief Justice after October 25 except Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.”
CJP and PTI's Hamid Khan clash in intense courtroom exchange
A heated exchange took place between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Hamid Khan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa during the Supreme Court’s hearing on the review petition regarding PTI’s intra-party elections.
The three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Isa and including Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Musarrat Hilali, heard the case.
Tensions flared during Hamid Khan’s arguments when he stated that a three-member bench could not hear the case, citing a previous 13-member bench ruling.
Chief Justice Isa questioned why this point was not raised earlier, prompting Khan to assert that the court should refer to the Election Commission and Sunni Ittehad Council case decisions.
The situation escalated when Hamid Khan accused the Chief Justice of being biased, to which Chief Justice Isa responded, "I prefer people who speak to my face, not on TV." Hamid Khan replied that he could not argue before a judge he believed to be biased.
The exchange continued with the Chief Justice questioning whether the court was being treated as a platform for casual conversation.
Hamid Khan then remarked that while it was an honour to appear before the court, he would refrain from making further arguments.
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