LAHORE: Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar has opposed the appointment of retired high court judges as heads of election tribunals and threatened a series of protests against PTI activists’ “victimisation”.

The federal government had promulgated an ordinance allowing appointment of retired judges to fill the vacant slots of election tribunals last week.

“Election is a sensitive subject and appointing a retired judge to adjudicate any objections to the election process means that a government already established through controversial Form 47 will undermine the neutrality of the institution,” Mr Bhachhar told a presser on Sunday.

“Does the incumbent government have no trust in serving judges that it resorted to promulgate an ordinance for changing the criteria for the post?” he asked.

He said the government feared it would collapse when the election petitions are decided by upright serving judges.

Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly threatens series of protests against ‘victimisation’

Mr Bhachhar also bemoaned PTI’s “victimisation” saying party workers were being booked and arrested on “false” charges wherever they gather.

The situation, he warned, was forcing them to launch an anti-government movement and it would hold its first protest outside the IGP Office in Lahore.

He, however, did not give a date for the protest and asked the district police officers not to act upon ‘illegal’ orders of the incumbent rulers.

Flanked by MPAs Sheikh Imtiaz, Farrukh Javed Moon, and legal adviser Abu Zar Suleman, the opposition leader rejected government’s claims that PTI founder Imran Khan was given all facilities in jail. Mr Bhachhar said despite his entitlement, the ex-PM was given a room cooler only four days ago in jail.

He regretted that 120 million people were being ruled by a TikTok government in Punjab. He said that the provincial government did not spend even 20 per cent of the supplementary budget and whatever was consumed was only spent on ‘illegal’ activities.

He also slammed the government’s decision to withdraw massive cut in petrol prices shortly after announcing it.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2024