Jailed PTI leaders urge CJP to review May 9 cases

LAHORE:

Senior jailed PTI leaders have written a reminder letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, urging an independent judicial review of the May 9 cases and seeking early hearings of appeals filed against their convictions.

The letter was sent by Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mahmoodur Rasheed, Ejaz Chaudhry and Umar Sarfraz Cheema through their counsel, Rana Mudassar Umar, from Kot Lakhpat Jail.

In the letter, the PTI leaders contended that the trials relating to the May 9 incidents failed to meet the constitutional requirements of a fair trial. They alleged that their convictions were based primarily on the statements of police officials without independent witnesses or substantive corroborative evidence.

They further claimed that key digital evidence, including CCTV footage, Safe City recordings, geofencing data and other electronic evidence, was not produced during the trials.

The imprisoned PTI leaders urged the CJP to order an independent judicial review of the investigation and prosecution process in the May 9 cases. They also requested that appeals filed by political prisoners against their convictions be heard without further delay.

The letter called for a constitutional review of convictions based on what it described as unverified official testimony, arguing that such convictions raised serious concerns regarding fair trial guarantees and due process.

The PTI leaders stressed the need to uphold judicial independence, impartiality and transparent trial standards in accordance with the Constitution.

Appealing to the CJP in his capacity as the guardian of the Constitution, they urged him to play his constitutional role in ensuring justice and requested the Supreme Court to take effective measures to restore public confidence in the country's justice system.

The letter maintains that an impartial judicial review of the May 9 cases is essential to safeguard constitutional rights and reinforce the credibility of the judicial process.