PTI’S Chaudhry expects CJP will form ‘judicial panel’ this week
ISLAMABAD: Former information minister and Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry said that he expected Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to take a decision this week regarding the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the party’s claims of a “foreign conspiracy” behind former prime minister Imran Khan’s ouster.
The PTI leader claimed that Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, whom he called “misinformation,” had accepted in her press conference on Thursday that the cable — purportedly containing details of the “conspiracy” — was a “reality.”
“The incumbent government said we will set up a commission of our choosing. We rejected it obviously,” he said at a news conference.
The PTI wanted a judicial commission instead, Chaudhry said, adding that he expected the CJP to take a decision in this regard this week.
At the start of his press conference, he claimed the incumbent government was hanging by a thread and the country’s biggest province was facing an administrative crisis but nobody was concerned or willing to take responsibility.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had adjourned a hearing related to the disqualification of dissident PTI lawmakers till Tuesday and declared it would take decisions in time, he noted. However, there was a need to take immediate notice of the crisis in Punjab, he said, asking the ECP to not treat the case as “business as usual.”
“You have fixed the hearing for Tuesday, hold it tomorrow instead. End this mater in Punjab,” he urged.
He was referring to the prevailing political situation in the province where recently swornin Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz had yet to announce his cabinet while Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema had asked the army chief to take action against the “illegal, unconstitutional and counterfeit” chief minister.
Chaudhry noted that the Supreme Court would resume hearing the presidential reference seeking its interpretation of Article 63-A, related to the disqualification of lawmakers over defection, on May 9 and termed it a very positive step.