Alleged election rigging: SC grants time to Imran’s lawyer for preparation

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday granted time to PTI founder’s lawyer for preparation about objections of registrar office to a petition against alleged rigging in general elections 2024.

A six-member bench headed by Justice Aminud Din Khan heard the case filed by Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) founder against alleged rigging in general elections. Petitioner’s lawyer Hamid Khan appeared before the court and gave arguments on maintainability of the case. During the course of proceeding, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail remarked if he thought the Election Commission of Pakistan was biased, he should have gone to the relevant forum. He said that the court had to be told for the notification of each candidate. “If there is a difference between Form 45 or 47, one of them will be correct and a full inquiry is needed to check the form,” he said. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail questioned if the entire election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan was wrong. There would be a separate inquiry for each constituency and each candidate would tell the allegations of his constituency, he said.

He remarked that the issue of rigging in elections had been raised previously as well and an ordinance had to be brought for the inquiry. The matter didn’t fall in jurisdiction of this court under article 184. The Deputy Attorney General, on the occasion, said that the Deputy Speaker had also formed a committee on the matter. Justice Mandokhail said that the court had no connection with that committee. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar asked the petitioner’s lawyer Hamid Khan to come on next hearing with case preparations. The court, subsequently granted time to the PTI founder’s lawyer for case preparations and adjourned hearing for indefinite time.