The five-member Supreme Court bench hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s petition on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to delay the Punjab Assembly polls was dissolved after Justice Aminuddin Khan recused himself from the case.
Justice Khan announced his recusal: “After yesterday’s judgment, I recuse myself from hearing the case.” This unexpected development occurred before the court proceedings for the day had even begun.
The original bench was constituted by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, and included Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Khan. However, following Justice Khan’s recusal, a new bench must be constituted to hear the PTI’s petition.
The original bench that had conducted three hearings on the PTI’s petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to postpone the Punjab Assembly polls was constituted by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial.
The bench was headed by the CJP himself and included four other justices, namely Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Khan.
The bench had been hearing arguments from both the PTI and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over the issue of the postponement of the Punjab Assembly polls. However, after Justice Aminuddin Khan recused himself from hearing the case, a new bench must be constituted to hear the PTI’s petition.
It is unclear who will be on the new bench or when the case hearing will resume. However, the unexpected development of the dissolution of the original bench has raised questions and concerns about its impact on the case outcome.
The PTI had challenged the ECP’s decision to delay the Punjab Assembly polls, citing that the decision was unconstitutional and beyond the powers of the ECP. The ECP defended its decision, stating that it had taken the step to ensure free and fair elections in the province.
The postponement of the Punjab Assembly polls has been contentious, with various political parties expressing their support or opposition to the decision. The outcome of the case is expected to have far-reaching implications for the political landscape of Punjab and Pakistan.
