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Nine Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) affiliated candidates who contested the elections on February 8 at different national and provincial assemblies' constituencies have demanded the recusal of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa from the bench hearing the matter of Election Tribunals appointed in Punjab for addressing matters related to election disputes, The News International reported.
A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by the CJP would take up the appeal of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the Lahore High Court judgement regarding the formation of election tribunals in Punjab to address election disputes from the February 8 general elections. Apart from Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the bench members include Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi. On July 4, the apex court suspended the LHC judgement and its notification over the appointment of eight election tribunals in Punjab. This suspension remained in effect until the consultations between the LHC chief justice and ECP were completed. In their application presented to the Registrar Supreme Court, the PTI-affiliated lawmakers requested permission to file their applications for the recusal of Justice Isa from the bench hearing the issue of the election tribunal. The nine PTI-affiliated candidates comprise Shaukat Iqbal Mirza, Raja Rasheed Hafeez, Saad Ali Khan, Chaudhry Muhammad Nazir, Hassan Addel, Nasir Khan, Seemabia Tahir, Shehryar Riaz. These lawmakers have been mentioned as respondents in the case of Election Tribunals matter. They informed the apex court registrar that they tried to register a civil miscellaneous application in the matter, requesting the recusal of the chief justice from hearing the matter on certain legal grounds. However, they said that the Advocate-on-Record (AOR) did not file their applications for the reasons best known to said Advocate-on-Record and there was no communication made in writing, according to The News International report. Thereafter, they mentioned that they had tried to register this application in person. However, the Institution Branch in the Office of the Supreme Court did not receive the application, stating that it could not be filed in person. The lawmakers stated that they should not be stopped from filing an application for fair adjudication of the matter. They urged the Registrar to allow them to file an appeal in person, as the matter is already scheduled for hearing on August 19. Meanwhile, respondent Salman Akram Raja's lawyer Hamid Khan requested adjournment in the matter, The News International Khan filed an application through Advocate on Record (AOR) Syed Rifaqat Hussain has filed an application in the apex court seeking adjournment in the case. In the application, it is mentioned that Hamid Khan is out of the country from August 16 to September 6 would not be able to appear before the court on August 19. He has requested the adjournment of case. (ANI)
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