Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa emphasized the need for stability in the country, stating that while conflicts exist, institutions must not be targeted. He directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to establish the remaining election tribunals within a week.
A five-member Supreme Court bench, headed by CJP Isa, heard the ECP’s appeal regarding the formation of election tribunals in Punjab. At the beginning of the hearing, Hamid Khan, representing Salman Akram Raja, objected to the CJP’s involvement. However, Justice Isa responded by asking the senior lawyer to allow the court to proceed with reading the order. Hamid Khan later left the courtroom after his objection.
During the hearing, Justice Aqeel Abbasi remarked that, according to the ECP’s written response, the matter had been resolved in consultation with the Lahore High Court (LHC). The ECP’s lawyer confirmed that four tribunals were already established, and the remaining four would soon be appointed by the commission. Justice Abbasi inquired if the issue was fully resolved, to which the ECP’s counsel affirmed that under the new law, the commission is responsible for appointing the tribunals without requiring further consultation with the LHC.
Justice Jamal Mandokhel remarked that high court chief justices are highly respected figures and urged for an end to personal preferences in appointing judges to the tribunals. Justice Isa stressed that the number of tribunals should be determined by the volume of cases, warning that an inadequate number of judges would be unfair. He further noted that parliament’s term is fixed at five years, and unrelated matters should be resolved at the lower levels before reaching the Supreme Court.
Justice Isa expressed disappointment that his request for adherence to the Constitution had been ignored, urging officials to take it more seriously. He reiterated that the country needs stability and emphasized that the work of institutions goes beyond mere correspondence.
The ECP’s lawyer, Sikandar Bashir Mohmand, informed the court that the problem had now been resolved. CJP Isa ordered that decisions on election-related issues be made promptly, directing the ECP to establish the remaining tribunals within a week.
Salman Akram Raja, during the proceedings, criticized the ECP for not fully implementing the LHC’s order. CJP Isa questioned whether Raja sought specific judges for the tribunals, pointing out that the matter had already been settled between the LHC and the ECP. Raja insisted that the case could not be concluded without addressing the high court’s order.
The Supreme Court reserved its decision on the case regarding the formation of election tribunals, noting that while a final ruling is pending, the ECP should proceed with notifying the establishment of the tribunals.
