Tag: Supreme Court

  • SCBA asks top court to reconsider allowing Ahmadis worship even within private places

    SCBA asks top court to reconsider allowing Ahmadis worship even within private places

    The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has called on the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reconsider its ruling regarding Ahmadis’ right to worship within their own worship places in the infamous Mubarak Sani case.

    In February 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that Ahmadis, while declared non-Muslims, retain the right to profess and proliferate their religion.

    The SCBA lauded the top court for declaring the minority non-Muslims but asserted that they shouldn’t even be allowed to pray privately as well because it “contradicts Islamic principles, the Quran, and Sunnah.”

    Journalist Hasnaat Malik posted about this development on X, highlighting the recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the SCBA and DHA for developing the Park Road Housing Project.

    The majority of social media reactions condemned the stance taken by the bar association.

  • After major relief by SC, trouble for Khan in May 9 case

    After major relief by SC, trouble for Khan in May 9 case

    A day before the Supreme Court granted major relief to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the reserved seats case, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) affirmed the allegations of Imran Khan’s involvement in the May 9 conspiracy against the state in its verdict.

    Senior journalist Ansar Abbasi has stated that while Friday’s SC verdict was a major political victory for PTI and Khan, the verdict by ATC Lahore is a major setback for them.

    Lahore’s anti-terrorism court has become the first judicial forum to uphold that Imran Khan and senior PTI leaders hatched an anti-state conspiracy on May 9.

    Justice Khalid Arshad of the ATC Lahore upheld the prosecution’s view that Khan, in collusion with PTI’s top leadership, was involved in a conspiracy and war against the state on May 9 of last year.

    The court also rejected Khan’s bail application while pointing out that the court was not convinced by founder PTI’s allegation that he was being targeted with politically motivated case.

  • PTI Wins: What does the Supreme Court verdict mean?

    PTI Wins: What does the Supreme Court verdict mean?

    In a significant political and symbolic win for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a thirteen-member bench of the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the party has the legal and constitutional right to reserved seats.

    It was Justice Mansoor Ali Shah who, with his announcement of the 8-5 majority verdict, dismissed the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order that had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ruling denying reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council, which was backed by PTI.

    Geo News reported that eight Justices, Justices Athar Minallah, Shahid Waheed, Muneeb Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, and Irfan Saadat Khan supported the verdict.

    The Supreme Court, in its verdict today, declared that a party’s lack of electoral symbol does not affect its legal rights to participate in an election.

    The Supreme Court also stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ‘misinterpreted’ its January 13 verdict of taking away PTI’s bat symbol and they never ruled that PTI could not participate in the elections.

    “PTI was and is a political party, which secured general seats in the national and provincial assemblies in the general elections of 2024,” emphasised the verdict.

    The ruling said that PTI should present a list of eligible candidates for the reserved seats to the electoral body within 15 days after the verdict.

    TIMELINE

    On 13 January 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to revoke PTI’s electoral symbol ‘bat’. PTI leadership called the decision “unfair and damaging to democratic constitutionalism.”

    Following this landmark decision, PTI members contested the general elections as the party-backed independent candidates with their own allotted electoral symbols.

    Following the February 8 elections, PTI-backed independents won the highest number of seats, making history in the country.

    To get the reserved seats according to proportional representation, PTI-backed independents joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) because the laws dictated that only a political party could be eligible for the allocation of reserved seats.

    The SIC then approached the ECP on February 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats. However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.

    The party then approached the Peshawar High Court on March 6, which, in yet another setback to the party, upheld the electoral body’s decision on the matter in its March 14 ruling.

    Subsequently, on April 2, the SIC moved the SC seeking to set aside the PHC verdict.

  • Khan wins, X goes crazy

    Khan wins, X goes crazy

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) announced a reserved verdict on Friday, declaring that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is eligible to obtain reserved seats. The SC also dismissed the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision to deny the reserved seats of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

    After the court’s decision, people reacted to it on X (formerly Twitter).

    Journalist Gharidah Farooqi posted, “PTI is not present in the parliament, but they have to submit a list of their candidates for reserved seats in the next 15 days as per the court’s orders.”

    PTI’s official account wrote, “Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja must IMMEDIATELY resign after violating the constitution of Pakistan.”

    Several PTI leaders also expressed their support for the court’s decision on reserved seats.

    Prominent party leader, Zulfi Bukhari posted, “Congratulations to the entire nation for the massive win in the revered seats case. Not only did PTI win 8-5 in the Supreme Court but 11 judges declared PTI a political party and allowed it to contest elections. More than us, this case was for the survival of the Supreme Court and hope of justice in the country.”

    Journalist Shehzad Iqbal said while speaking on Geo News that the court’s decision benefits PTI but is not good news for the coalition government.

    The famous journalist Asad Toor wrote in a post on X, “No extra seats for government.”

    On the other hand, users on X posted memes about today’s verdict.

    One user posted an image with the caption, “Itni Jaldi Mithai Nahi Khani Chahye.”

    PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill posted the picture of journalist Hassan Ayub with the caption, “Aida ki Karna hai?”

  • Salaried class fights back: Petition filed against high taxes in Supreme Court

    Salaried class fights back: Petition filed against high taxes in Supreme Court

    After the National Assembly approved the controversial economic budget for the next fiscal year last week, a group called the Salaried Class Alliance of Pakistan has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, citing discrimination in taxation against salaried classes in the recent budget.

    “This budget marks the third consecutive year in which the burden of taxation has disproportionately fallen upon the salaried class, neglecting broader efforts to expand the tax base in the country,” read the petition.

    The alliance raised key issues such as an unbalanced tax burden, neglect of tax base expansion, impact on economic growth and brain drain, and disparities in taxation.

    It urged the Supreme Court, “Under Article 184(3) of the constitution of Pakistan to uphold justice and protect the rights of salaried class and all taxpayers in Pakistan.”

  • Khan tells Supreme Court that country under unannounced martial law

    Khan tells Supreme Court that country under unannounced martial law

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on June 6 told Supreme Court judges that the country was facing an “unannounced martial law” during the hearing of the NAB amendments case hearing.

    Khan also talked about the “victimisation” he had to face since his ouster from power in April 2022.

    The jailed PTI founder appeared before the Supreme Court’s five-member bench via video link from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where has been incarcerated since his conviction in the Toshakhana case last year.

    The SC bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi heard the case.

    Interestingly, Khan quoted India’s example during his argument that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was released on bail ahead of the Indian elections to run his campaign.

    Furthermore, Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the top court’s judgement rejecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government plea requesting the live streaming of the case saying to CJP Isa, “You wrote [in the judgment] that I did political point scoring during the last hearing. I did not get it, what political scoring did I resort to?”

    CJP replied that a judge does not owe an explanation to anyone and that he can “file a review petition.”

    Criticising alleged political victimisation, the PTI chairman suggested that the Supreme Court should appoint a NAB chairman.

    “When opposition and government fail to evolve consensus on the name of NAB chairman appointment then a ‘third umpire’ makes the decision,” he said, adding that the NAB is working under the “third umpire”.

    “Solve the problems by sitting in parliament. This country needs to move forward,” the CJP said to Khan.

  • Justice Minallah says live streaming of Khan’s appearance in court not against law

    Justice Minallah says live streaming of Khan’s appearance in court not against law

    Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah on June 5 issued a dissenting note on the majority verdict against the petition seeking live streaming of the hearing of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case, stating that there was “no substantive reason” to deny the public the right to have access to court proceedings.

    In a 13-page long document, the judge asserted that “Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is the founder and undisputed leader of a major political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).” Therefore live streaming his court appearances wasn’t against the law.

    The development came after the Supreme Court released a detailed verdict on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s petition last week, stating that broadcasting the court proceedings of cases involving politicians can be used for political “point-scoring”.

  • ‘Irresponsible statement’ Justice Munib Akhtar, CJP Isa trade verbal blows

    ‘Irresponsible statement’ Justice Munib Akhtar, CJP Isa trade verbal blows

    Monday’s hearing of the case pertaining to Sunni Ittehad Council’s reserved seats turned into a salvo of verbal blows in the Supreme Court.

    A slightly heated exchange of words took place between the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Munib Akhtar.

    During the hearing, Justice Akhtar remarked, “There is no logic in the Election Commission’s orders because, on one hand, it says SIC did not contest elections and therefore did not win any seats but on the other hand it is a parliamentary party as well.”

    Meanwhile, other judges also passed remarks to which CJP Qazi Faez Isa stopped the petitioner’s lawyer Faisal Siddiqui from answering the questions of the judges.

    Here Justice Munib intervened and said, “This is an unfair statement, every judge of the full court has the right to ask questions.”

  • There are no black sheep in supreme court, Justice Minallah tells PM

    There are no black sheep in supreme court, Justice Minallah tells PM

    Supreme Court Judge Justice Athar Minallah while talking to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), advised the AG to tell the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that there are no black sheep in the SC.

    A five member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa heard the government’s appeals against the nullification of the NAB amendments in the top court today.

    Justice Minallah further said, “Ask the Prime Minister if there are any black sheep in the Supreme Court then file a reference against them.”

    The comment by Justice Athar came just two days after PM Shehbaz while addressing the PML-N General Workers’ Council said, “Majority of judges agree on the country’s prosperity, but a few black sheep in the judiciary are bent on giving relief to Imran Khan.”

  • Supreme Court rejects petition for live coverage of NAB amendment case

    Supreme Court rejects petition for live coverage of NAB amendment case

    The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s request for live streaming of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case hearing on Thursday, Geo News reported.

    The top court rejected the plea filed by the KP advocate general, with Justice Athar Minallah being in favour of live broadcasting of the case.

    “The [hearing of] case should be broadcast live since this was the case before as well,” the judge said.

    The development comes as the SC is hearing intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments against the NAB amendments struck down by the top court.

    Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Minallah, and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi are part of the larger SC bench hearing the case.