TERENCE J SIGAMONY

ISLAMABAD: The registrar Supreme Court on Monday raised objections and returned Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) senior leader Awn Chaudhry’s petition to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), deeming it “not entertainable”.

The registrar has stated; “the petitioner had not pointed out as to what questions of public importance in the instant case are involved with reference to the Constitution, so as to directly invoke jurisdiction of the SC under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution”.

It was further maintained that the necessary requirements for invoking extraordinary jurisdiction had “not been satisfied” and that it was unclear “for what purpose this Constitutional petition is being filed before this court.”

The registrar’s office also stated that the petitioner “has not approached any other appropriate forum available under the law for the same relief and has also not provided any justification for not doing so”.

Awn Chaudhry on July 06 had filed a petition under Article 184(3) of the constitution and requested the apex court to declare the acts of the PTI, its chairman, office bearers, their hate speeches attacking the judiciary, defence, burning and looting public assets, etc., are totally unconstitutional and thus their party is liable to be dissolved.

The petitioner questioned whether the PTI indulged in terrorism by attacking the institutions, defence, and house of Corp Commander and damaging other offices is liable to the dissolved.

The inalienable right of the people of Pakistan and their fundamental rights, liberty have been seriously damaged by the acts of the PTI, its chairman, office bearers, and workers. The acts of these people are dangerous to the constitution and democratic dispensation and thus their party is liable to be dissolved.

The petitioner submitted that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif (respondent No7) wrote a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan to the effect that the Ministry of Defence has apprised him regarding some shocking statements containing serious allegations levelled against senior most officials of the armed forces. These accusations have not been communicated through the official channel by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, but are made through media which is indeed damaging the institution of armed forces.

He stated that Khawaja Asif had also written a letter to Shehbaz Sharif; therefore, the indulgence of the apex court is required that a direction should be given to the Election Commission of Pakistan to send a reference for dissolving the PTI in terms of Article 212 of the Election Act, 2017.

It is a matter of record that the PTI, its supporters and selected members did not seriously indulge in lawmaking process. Imran Khan and his ministers never sat in the session and never took serious effort towards lawmaking.