The Supreme Court’s (SC) constitutional bench on Wednesday rejected PTI leader Shibli Faraz’s request to suspend the schedule for the Senate election on his seat. A five-member constitutional bench headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan heard the petition. The court nullified the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) earlier decision on Faraz’s appeal and disposed of the case, directing the High Court to decide on his pending petition. 

Rejecting the plea to halt the Senate election on the vacant seat, the bench remarked that it would not interfere in the Senate polls.During the hearing, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar pleaded that the Senate election on Faraz’s seat was scheduled for tomorrow and requested suspension of the election schedule. Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi remarked, “When you have already nominated a candidate for the Senate election, why are you seeking a stay order now?” Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail observed that “nominating a candidate was a compulsion.” 

Justice Rizvi further said to Barrister Gohar, “You are the PTI chairman yourself—if you have nominated a candidate, why ask for a stay order? How many seats are being contested tomorrow?” Barrister Gohar replied that only one seat was up for election, adding, “We were unfairly removed from two constitutional offices; please stay the election.” The SC also set aside the indefinite adjournment of the PHC case and directed it to hear both parties and issue a decision. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)