Justice Wiqar recuses himself from election petitions

PESHAWAR: Justice Wiqar Ahmad, the judge of the Election Tribunal at the Peshawar High Court, has recused himself from hearing all election petitions, citing objections raised against him.

The petitions have been returned to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for further proceedings.

In a three-page written order, Justice Wiqar Ahmad stated that he could no longer hear the election cases and had formally withdrawn himself from them.

The order also addressed the objections raised by the complainant, who argued that Justice Wiqar Ahmad had previously been a member of the Insaf Lawyers Forum and served as Additional Advocate General during the PTI-led government.

Justice Wiqar Ahmad clarified in his written judgement that once a judge took an oath of office, any prior political affiliations were nullified.

He emphasised that as a judge, he had always decided cases impartially, without fear or favour. However, considering the objection raised, he deemed it appropriate to withdraw from hearing the petitions. The written order has directed the Election Commission to transfer these cases to another tribunal for adjudication. Among the high-profile cases under Justice Wiqar Ahmad’s tribunal were those involving former provincial minister Taimur Jhagra, Abbas Afridi, Amjad Afridi, Ali Zaman, and Hamidul Haq.

The objections were brought forward by PTI-Parliamentarians MPA Arbab Waseem, who questioned Justice Wiqar Ahmad’s impartiality.

The tribunal’s decision has been formally communicated to the Election Commission, and all petitions have been ordered to be transferred to a new tribunal for further hearings.

The objections were brought forward by PTI-Parliamentarians MPA Arbab Waseem, who questioned Justice Wiqar Ahmad’s impartiality. The tribunal’s decision has been formally communicated to the Election Commission, and all petitions have been ordered to be transferred to a new tribunal for further hearings.