The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order to change the Islamabad Election Tribunal. The court has reinstated the tribunal comprising Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, who was previously presiding over the case.
The case was heard by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who presided over the petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the ongoing proceedings related to the Election Amendment Ordinance and the change of tribunal in the ECP.
During the hearing, CJ Farooq expressed his displeasure over the change of the Election Tribunal in Islamabad. He questioned the Additional Attorney General (AAG) about the urgency under which the ordinance was issued overnight and asked how he would defend this ordinance.
The court also issued a contempt of court notice to PML-N Member National Assembly (MNA) Anjum Aqeel Khan, who had requested the ECP to change the tribunal. CJ Farooq remarked, “Please explain to me what is written, what is the meaning of these words, what is prejudice?”Anjum Aqeel apologized to the judge, stating that he had signed the application without reading the contents and that his English was weak. He admitted that he had made a mistake in his choice of words and that it was not intentional.
Following these remarks, the IHC suspended the ECP’s order to change the Islamabad Election Tribunal and reinstated the tribunal comprising Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri. The court also adjourned the hearing till July 9.
In the previous hearing, CJ Farooq had also expressed his anger over the change of the Election Tribunal in Islamabad. He questioned the ECP counsel on how the electronic media got to know about the formation of a new tribunal if a notification was not issued.
The ECP had earlier approved all three requests from PML-N MNA seeking a change of tribunal in Islamabad and had mandated the tribunal’s transfer. However, the PTI had challenged the ECP’s proceedings against the election tribunal in the IHC.
The IHC’s decision to suspend the ECP’s order and reinstate the previous tribunal is a significant victory for the PTI and a setback for the PML-N. The case highlights the ongoing political tensions and the importance of ensuring fair and transparent electoral processes in Pakistan.