ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has remarked that the country needs stability and added that there are conflicts but institutions should not be questioned. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should ensure the establishment of the remaining tribunals within a week, he ordered. A five-member SC bench headed by CJP Isa heard the Election Commission’s plea to set up election tribunals in Punjab. At the start of the hearing, Salman Akram Raja’s lawyer Hamid Khan objected to the chief justice and said, “My lord, we have to file the application,” to which Justice Isa said, “You are a senior lawyer and respected by us. Let’s read the order first.” Hamid Khan said they objected to the CJP hearing the case, on which Justice Isa told him to sit, saying he would be heard later. Hamid Khan then left the courtroom. Matters between Election Commission, LHC CJ During the hearing, Justice Aqeel Abbasi noted that according to the Election Commission’s written reply, the matter was resolved after consultation with the Supreme Court. A lawyer for the Election Commission told the court that the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court has set up four tribunals and the ECP will appoint the remaining four. Justice Abbasi asked if this meant that matters had been settled between the Election Commission and the Chief Justice of the LHC. The ECP lawyer replied in the affirmative and said that the law has changed so now the commission appoints four tribunals. The ECP lawyer told the court that Justice Alia Neelam had observed that there was no need for consultation under the new law. Justice Jamal Mandokhel said that the Chief Justices were not ordinary people, adding that both the Chief Justices and the Election Commission were honorable. “Likes and dislikes in the appointment of judges to the tribunal should now end.” CJP Isa observed that the number of tribunals depends on the cases and added that the number of judges should be decided based on the number of cases. “If the number of judges handling cases is low, it will be unfair. I don’t know how many cases are pending in Balochistan or Punjab,” he noted. The president of the court noted that the term of office is five years, which cannot be extended. “Cases with a permanent injunction also go to the Supreme Court. Matters not involving the Supreme Court should be resolved between the parties.” Judge Isa noted that he made one application but no one bothered to do so. “Look at what the Constitution says. Nobody cares to read the Constitution,” he expressed dismay.
