ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Jamal Mandukhel has remarked that after the return of election symbols, the impression given was that the political party was dissolved and the funeral went out. Heard the case.
The Sunni Ittehad Council has approached the Supreme Court against the decision of the Peshawar High Court for specific seats. On the previous hearing, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court had suspended the Peshawar High Court decision to the extent of additional seats.
Faisal Siddiqui, the lawyer of the Sunni Ittehad Council, said that those who were given additional seats are Benfishri, there are a total of 77 disputed seats, 22 National Assembly seats and 55 provincial seats are disputed.
The Chief Justice stopped Faisal Siddiqui from calling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as ‘KPK’ and said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resent being called by this name, or use abbreviations for other provinces or take their full names as well.
Faisal Siddiqui said that our winning candidates had affixed the party certificate, yet the Election Commission said that they are independent candidates.
Justice Jamal Mandukhel remarked that does the Election Commission have the power to declare someone independent? When the party is also saying that this is our candidate, the candidate also calls the party his own, what authority does the Election Commission have after that?
The Chief Justice asked whether any of the beneficiary parties supported the Sunni Ittehad Council in the court.
All parties opposed the request of the Sunni Unity Council.
The Chief Justice said that this means you all want to have additional mixed seats.
Justice Athar Minullah also said that if the election symbol is returned, does the political party lose all rights?
Justice Jamal Mandukhel remarked that the political party established under Article 17 had ended after the election symbol was returned? Can’t the political party field candidates when the election marks are returned? The impression was given as if the political party had dissolved and the funeral had gone out, can it be concluded that PTI was still intact as a party and had also submitted lists of specific seats?
Faisal Siddiqui replied that PTI submitted the lists but the Election Commission did not accept them.
The Chief Justice stopped Faisal Siddiqui from answering the judges’ questions and said to leave the questions and answer them in your own way.
Faisal Siddiqui laughingly replied that thankfully you have not asked questions yet. On this, Justice Muneeb Akhtar said that this is the joy and pain of sitting in the full court.
