Level playing field case: CJP says if PTI wants 100% papers approval

Islamabad: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa remarked in a level playing field case Monday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wants 100% approval of its nomination papers.

According to the details, a three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice is hearing the contempt petition regarding not getting a level playing field.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Qazi asked PTI's lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa if he read the report in response to the petition. CJP told him to make no speech, just tell what is wrong with this report.

Justice Mian Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that according to the report, 1195 of your people submitted the papers, ‘we have the reports of the Chief Secretary and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in front of us’.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan stated that if you are denying these reports, then you have to come up with something in writing, Mr. Khosa. If the Election Commission has made a false statement, you should submit a written reply. You cannot stand here and reject the report.

Latif Khosa replied: “The nomination papers of PTI's frontline candidates were not accepted,” on which Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that you are saying yourself in your answer that the tribunals relieved you.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan asked if PTI wants 100% of the nomination papers to be approved. Tell what you want, this is a court of law, it cannot be governed by oral speech.

Chief Justice asked if PTI wants elections, to which Latif Khosa replied that 100% elections should be held. The Chief Justice said that the job of ECP is to conduct elections, these are the institutions created by you and Parliament, respect them. If the facts stated by them are wrong, then refute them.

Justice Qazi Faez said that if you get a negative answer to your allegations, then you say it is not true. To which Khosa replied that action is being taken against us by applying Section 144, to which the Chief Justice said, ‘We are not the government but the Supreme Court, we are not running anyone's campaign, Article 144 and MPO will be for everyone, not only for PTI. Neither Article 144 nor MPO has been challenged before us’. PTI's lawyer said that no other political party wants to go in public.

On which the Chief Justice of Pakistan in a dialogue with Latif Khosa said if you do not trust any institution of Pakistan, what should we do. This is not a political forum, do not show off in front of the court, there are many political forums, use them. Most of the appeals are coming from PTI and are being heard, the Election Commission should take cases or hold elections.

Qazi Faez asked Latif Khosa which party's candidate are you? He told: "I am a PTI candidate," to which the Chief Justice said, "Have you left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)"? The lawyer said yes, it has been a long time since he left the PPP.

The judge expressed his indignation at Khosa's repeated speech that, "You are not allowing us to ask questions, you are preventing us from asking, write the court order yourself".

The Supreme Court adjourned the case related to PTI not getting a level playing field till January 15 and the case related to assigning bat sign to PTI till January 10.

It is pertinent to note that earlier on yesterday, the Election Commission had rejected the allegations of Tehreek-e-Insaaf while submitting its response in the contempt of court case on PTI not getting a level playing field.

In its response, the ECP said that Tehreek-e-Insaf's application should be dismissed with a fine for misrepresentation.