ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Monday requested the Supreme Court to overrule the registrar office’s Jan 31 decision to return its challenge to the appointment of Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi.

Moved through PTI general secretary Asad Umar on Jan 27, the petition had sought an order restraining the caretaker chief minister from appointing the provincial cabinet as well as taking decisions pending conclusion of the present case.

The petition had also asked the Supreme Court to set aside the appointments of Raja Riaz Ahmed as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — Babar Hassan Bharwana and retired Justice Ikramullah Khan.

But the SC registrar’s office returned the petition citing reasons that no proof or resolution had been provided to confirm that the petitioner was the general secretary of the PTI and that the petition had been filed on behalf of the political party and scandalous language had been used in it.

Party had challenged appointment of Punjab caretaker CM

The appellant, however, furnished a resolution in this regard along with the appeal.

Moreover, the registrar’s office had also objected that the petitioner impleaded the chief minister of Punjab as a respondent when he could not be made a party under Article 248 of the Constitution under which the president, prime minister, chief ministers, governors and other ministers enjoyed complete immunity.

Now in the appeal, the PTI pleaded that through the petition, questions of public importance had been raised since violation of the due process was involved, which the high court could not adjudicate upon.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2023