The Supreme Court has disposed of a plea seeking the February 8 general elections to be declared void and null after the petitioner did not attend two consecutive hearings.

Filed by an individual named Ali Khan, the petition urged the court to order new elections within 30 days to be held under the direct supervision and oversight of the judiciary “to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability”.

The apex court was informed by the additional attorney general today that Ali was a former brigadier. Reading out the petitioner’s email to the SC, CJP Isa observed that Ali had stated he could not appear before the court as he was in Bahrain.

“He is a strange person; people buy a return ticket due to it being cheaper but he booked a one-way ticket. It seems that Ali Khan had done a publicity stunt by filing a petition before the Supreme Court, “ the CJP remarked.

Subsequently, the three-member bench — also comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali — disposed of the plea and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on the petitioner.