You need politics not democracy, CJP Qazi Faez Isa

Islamabad: The Supreme Court continues the hearing of Pakistan-Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) intra-party elections and elections symbol on Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) request challenging the Peshawar High Court decision (PHC).

According to the details, three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazahir.

Barrister Ali Zafar is speaking for the PTI in the case at the SC, on the other hand Makhdoom Ali Khan is ECP’s guidelines.

The commission was malcontented with PHC's decision and challenged the order in the apex court, looking for its abrogation. Later PTI applied for an appeal in the PHC against Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and other members for not checking out on the PHC’s order.

At the beginning of the hearing, Supreme Court asked PTI’s barrister Ali Zafar about searching for a level playing field, distinctly in the light of uncertainty interfaced by its own leaders about the insufficiency of one in the party.

Speaking to Barrister Ali Zafar Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said: “You ask for a level playing field, you should also give one to your members. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) didn’t react on its own but bound to react after receiving objections on PTI’s intra-party elections”.

He also inquired if the party’s polls were translucent and whether it was crystal clear who could or could not compete for the election.

While replying to Justice Mazhar’s remarks, Zafar said: “Election Commission has not recognized any such asymmetry. I will respond to all of your questions with documents”.

Promptly, Qazi Faez Isa stated that it is not enough to level accusations at the ECP on social media or media and that the electoral body said it had sent a show-cause notice to the party concerning to intra-party polls in a while back, when PTI was still ruling. But the party had then stopped to conduct the polls due to unusual reasons.

He further stated: “The ECP took heed of PTI when it was in government, Was the Election Commission an independent constitutional body in your government, which has now become subordinate to someone?”

During the hearing, the chief justice said that the court will not discuss about the Election Act since it hasn’t been questioned.

Barrister Zafar said that the PTI is not questioning on the Election Act.