ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court Office has refused to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)/Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) application requesting for the issuance of ‘Order of the Court’ signed by 12 judges that is uploaded on the apex court’s website.

Two applications were moved by PTI counsel, Hamid Khan and Salman Akram Raja. The court official urged the advocate on record (AOR) to apply for a certified copy rather than moving an application. The official added that once the order is available to office it will be shared.

Raja, who is the secretary general of the PTI, also wrote a letter to the Supreme Court on the subject. The letter stated that on June 27, Justice Salahuddin Panwar recused himself from the bench hearing the reserved seats review case, while Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail passed a separate order.

Furthermore, the letter stated, a separate order was passed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi. Seven judges passed a distinct order, accepting the review petitions in reserved seats case.

At the commencement of the proceedings, Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Aqeel Abbasi dismissed the review petitions. “It is respectfully requested that certified copies of each of the judgments/orders may kindly be provided at the earliest,” it said.

“It is further requested that the Order of the Court signed by twelve honourable members of the bench, after the recusal by Justice Salahuddin Panwar, may also be provided,” the letter continued.

The website of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has posted a short order with respect to the captioned and connected petitions, signed by only 10 judges of the constitutional bench. However, the Order of the Court signed by 12 judges of the Bench, who heard the captioned and connected matters.

“A request for the certified copy of the said order signed by twelve honourable judges is made through the instant application,” says the letter. However, the Registrar Office has also refused to receive the letter.

Last week, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court set aside the apex court’s July 12, 2024 judgment that had resurrected the PTI as a parliamentary party and granted it the reserved seats in legislatures.

The bench, by a majority of 7, allowed all civil review petitions against the July 12 ruling, paving the way for the ruling coalition to get two-thirds majority in parliament, which will have significant implications for national politics.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Peshawar, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram sharply criticised the constitutional bench’s decision on the review petition and warned that the party would not remain silent, rather it would raise its voice against the decision at every forum.

“The decision on the reserved seats review case has shown that there was no constitution. It is a joke with democracy. This decision was written in advance, and everyone knew what decision would be announced,” he charged.

“First, general seats were taken away from us [in the February 8, 2024 general elections]. Now, all the reserved seats have also been taken away,” he said. “The people will laugh at the reserved seats decision. We will not leave this matter; we will raise our voice against it at every forum.”

Akram said that the meetings of the lawyers and the family members with PTI founder Imran Khan had been banned despite the court orders. “They are afraid that the people will come out it they got the message for the party founder,” he said, demanding resumption of the meetings of Imran.

Speaking about the PTI protest in the Punjab Assembly during the budget session, Akram said that protest was due because of a “killer budget”. He criticised the Punjab Assembly speaker’s decision to suspend 26 members for 15 sessions and sending references against them.

“How could elected representatives be suspended for protesting? There will be a protest all over the world,” he warned. “The speaker is sending the reference to the Election Commission [of Pakistan (ECP)] because the opposition raised its voice for the rights of the people,” he added.

“Now [the chairmanship of] four standing committees are being snatched from the PTI. They cannot silence their voice by taking away the committees. We condemn this decision of the speaker. He is doing this to please the Punjab chief minister.”

Akram revealed that six PTI workers, who were released from jail recently, had died of jaundice. “Our workers who were in jail for six months are now dying. This cannot be a coincidence. We demand impartial inquiry and those responsible must be severely punished.”

Responding to a question about joining any political alliance, the PTI spokesperson stated that after the general elections last year, talks were held with other political parties, but those parties did not muster courage to stand up.

“Maulana Fazlur Rehman [the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief] had never joined the opposition protest. We gave honour to Maulana Fazlur Rehman but he did not come with us. Now, no one needs Maulana Fazlur Rehman anymore,” he said.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUR PESHAWAR CORRESPONDENT YASIR ALI)