The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) on Thursday separately accused the judiciary of persistent bias in favor of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, adding the ‘system’s tilt toward former prime minister Imran Khan was concerning.
Addressing an event in Karachi, PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif took aim at a Peshawar High Court (PHC) ruling suspending an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order stripping the PTI of its electoral symbol. Maintaining this was an “attack” on the electoral watchdog’s authority, he questioned how a provincial high court could issue orders that had nationwide consequences.
“There are candidates [in KP elections] who are in some way related to the judge,” he alleged. “I believe that the judge should have recused himself from the bench based on his relationship,” he added. Stressing that it appeared the scales of justice were tilted for a “ladla”—a euphemism for Khan—he said the kinds of decisions emerging from the judiciary were concerning. “We expect justice from the judiciary,” he added.
Similarly, PMLN leader Rana Sanaullah claimed the PHC ruling was in violation of the Elections Act, 2017, adding it was “pre-poll rigging” aimed at favoring a “cousin” of the judge who was contesting elections on the PTI ticket. PMLN Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz also slammed the PHC ruling as an “attack” on the ECP’s constitutional powers. “The ruling is the victory of the selection but not the election,” she said.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Islamabad, JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman alleged there was an environment of “judicial martial law” in the country. To a query on the PTI’s claims of nomination papers being snatched from its candidates, he said this was “not tight,” but questioned its veracity if the party had submitted the most nominations of any party. Alleging the “system” was still treating Khan as a ladla, he said recent court decisions did not support the view that the PTI was under any pressure.
The JUIF chief also slammed the ECP, stressing that the security situation and weather conditions were not conducive to voter turnout on Feb. 8, 2024. “We have been informed by district administrations that the security situation is dangerous and that we cannot campaign for elections,” he said, warning he would hold the chief election commissioner and the chief justice of Pakistan accountable if any JUIF worker were harmed during the election process.
“Cautioning against security threats does not mean we’re against elections. I have struggled for elections for over three years; it is my right that my party be given a good security environment,” he added.
Also joining the chorus was Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, who issued a statement maintaining the PHC ruling restoring the PTI’s election symbol was beyond the court’s jurisdiction of the court and against the people’s aspirations. This matter is solely the prerogative of the ECP, he added.