Barrister Gohar, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), declared his intention to bring the issue of ad hoc judges before the Supreme Judicial Council, citing concerns about the integrity of their appointment.
During a press briefing outside the Parliament House in Islamabad, Gohar criticized the decision to appoint four ad hoc judges to the Supreme Court during a holiday period for a three-year term, suggesting the move had malicious intent.
This statement followed a joint session of the PTI and Sunni Ittehad Council’s parliamentary party. In the session, National Assembly Opposition Leader Umar Ayub voiced strong opposition to ongoing legal actions against PTI founders, including fabricated charges against Bushra Bibi. Ayub demanded the release of all involved and condemned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for baseless arrests.
During its meeting, the PTI parliamentary committee concluded that the timing and duration of the ad hoc judges’ appointments were questionable and potentially harmful to judicial independence. They expressed concerns about the potential for these positions to become politicized.
Additionally, Umar Ayub highlighted that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s wife, Serena Isa, has been publicly critical of Imran Khan, arguing that the Chief Justice should recuse himself from cases involving Khan due to potential bias.
Ayub reiterated his demand for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and its members, threatening legal action if these demands were not met. He emphasized that the PTI represents a significant portion of the populace and that the government would view any attempt to ban the party as a severe misstep.
