PTI Candidates Demand CJP Qazi Faez Isa's Recusal from Election Tribunals Hearing

Nine PTI candidates have demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa's recusal from a Supreme Court bench hearing the Election Tribunal cases in Punjab. The lawmakers cite issues in their application's registration and advocate participation, seeking fair adjudication ahead of an August 19 hearing.

Nine candidates affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have called for the recusal of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa from a hearing concerning the Election Tribunals in Punjab, The News International reported. The Supreme Court's five-member bench, led by CJP Isa, is set to address the appeal from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against a Lahore High Court judgement on tribunal formation.

The bench also includes Justices Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi. On July 4, the Supreme Court suspended the Lahore High Court's decision about appointing eight election tribunals until consultations between the LHC chief justice and ECP concluded.

The PTI candidates—Shaukat Iqbal Mirza, Raja Rasheed Hafeez, Saad Ali Khan, Chaudhry Muhammad Nazir, Hassan Addel, Nasir Khan, Seemabia Tahir, and Shehryar Riaz—filed an application with the Supreme Court's Registrar. They attempted to register a civil miscellaneous application for CJP Isa's recusal, citing procedural difficulties. They claim that their advocate failed to file their applications, while the Supreme Court's Institution Branch refused their in-person submissions.

As the matter is scheduled for hearing on August 19, the lawmakers are urging that their application be accepted for fair adjudication. In parallel developments, respondent Salman Akram Raja's lawyer, Hamid Khan, has requested an adjournment of the case due to his unavailability from August 16 to September 6, ANI reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)