Islamabad protests: SC issues notices to all parliamentary parties
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ISLAMABAD: Hearing a set of petitions against sit-ins by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on the Constitution Avenue, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to all parliamentary parties as well as the PAT.
The notices were issued after petitioner Zulfiqar Naqvi pleaded to the court that all parliamentary parties be summoned so the deadlock can be resolved.
Notices have been issued to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q), Pakistan Muslim League - Zia (PML-Z), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Awami Muslim League (AML), All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMap), National Party (NP) and other parties in Parliament as well as PAT.
Today’s proceedings also saw Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk saying that while it was not his place to issue clarifications over allegations of bias, he had met with PTI chairman Imran Khan only once and that too along with the latter's counsel Hamid Khan and at a time when he was the acting chief election commissioner.
Justice Mulk said Imran and Hamid had come to his office to discuss the idea of introducing biometric system of voting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“That was the only time we met,” he said.
Javed Hashmi claims that Imran had said that “the current chief justice” had a favourable view of PTI and had agreed to ensure that power is taken from Nawaz Sharif.
Also during today's hearing, PAT’s counsel Ali Zafar refused to submit proposals over what role the court should play in ending the current political impasse.
Zafar said his client’s demands were of a political nature and it was not the court’s place to interfere in political matters.
The response came a day after the apex court call on the two protesting parties — PTI and PAT — as to what proposals they had in their minds about the role the court should play in ending the political deadlock.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the case until tomorrow.
