ISLAMABAD, Supreme Court while dealing with the constitutional petition based on the allegations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf not getting a level playing field in the general elections 2024 has directed the Election Commission to remove the complaints of the petitioner party, PTI. The Election Commission and the Attorney General assured to remove the complaints. While Justice Athar Manullah remarked that apparently PTI’s allegation of not getting a level playing field is correct, why is a political party being walled up? The court directed the Islamabad and all provincial police chiefs (IGs), federal and four provincial governments and the Election Commission not to harass the election candidates of PTI and their complaints. In this regard, the court directed PTI to approach the Election Commission today (Friday) and observed that the Attorney General should play the role of a facilitator in this matter.
During the hearing, Justice Athar Minullah also raised various questions on the conduct of the Election Commission. A 3-member bench consisting of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minullah headed by Acting Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood heard the case on Friday. The DG of Election Commission, Law, appeared and told the court’s inquiry that the Election Commission has not received any request from any aggrieved party regarding withdrawal of nomination papers from PTI candidates. Justice Athar Manullah said that everything is coming in the newspapers, what did the Election Commission do in this regard? He said what happened to the mother of former MNA Usman Dar? During the hearing, PTI’s lawyer Shoaib Shaheen took a stand that the election schedule has been issued but the orders of MPO are still being issued, papers are not being given to PTI candidates and Neither is allowing submission. At which the Chief Justice said that why is the Election Commission not stopping the orders of the MPO? Now write the order and send it to review and solve all the complaints, on which Fazil Vakil said that if the returning officers do not receive the documents, they should be allowed to submit them to the Election Commission. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that the Election Commission should meet the political parties immediately. Tell all the IGs not to harass Tehreek-e-Insaaf candidates. Later, the court disposed of the application by issuing the above instructions.