CJP asks AGP why govt wants to choose own judges

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Bandial Monday asked the Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan as to why the government wanted to choose its own judges for deciding an important constitutional matter.

The chief justice heads the three-member larger bench seized with the PTI’s petition against delay in holding the elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Clarifying, the attorney general submitted that no one wanted so. The chief justice asked the attorney general as to how many security personnel were needed. The AG replied that everything was on record adding that the Election Commission had highlighted six reasons for its decision to delay the polls.

In pursuance of the court’s last order, the chief justice asked the attorney general about the instructions he had received form the federal government. Awan submitted that the government could not boycott the proceedings adding that the petition filed by the PTI was purely based on the order passed by the apex court on March 1, 2023, instructing the president to announce the date for polls in Punjab after consulting with the Election Commission.

At this, the chief justice asked as to how the ECP could change the date of elections in Punjab. Justice Bandial recalled that the ECP had told the court that they could only conduct the elections but were not authorized to give the date for elections.

“Our order of March 1 was implemented in letter and spirit, he said, adding that the 1988 elections were postponed on the court orders, as it had issued its verdict based on the “ground realities”.