ISLAMABAD - The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday announced to file a reference against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) seeking his removal for allegedly creating obstacles in the execution of Supreme Court’s decisions to hold general elections in the country.
Addressing a press conference here, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to remove the CEC from his position for allegedly acting as a “crony” of the ruling alliance. He demanded that an unbiased and impartial Chief Election Commissioner should be appointed so as to ensure holding free, fair and transparent elections in the country. “On the one hand, they say there is no money for elections, but on the other, they have purchased four kanals of land for the Election Commission office in Sargodha for Rs320 million,” he added.
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The PTI Senior Vice President alleged that the CEC had appointed blue-eyed persons on important positions without advertising the posts. Chaudhry said PTI Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhary earlier had filed a reference against the CEC but no action was taken. PTI is sending a new reference against Sikandar Raja, who, he said, is part of the conspiracy to deprive people of their right to vote. He said that the apex court should not only give decisions but it should also ensure their execution in true sense. He made it clear that the entire nation, bar associations and top jurists were standing with the SC and the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Hence, he said that the top court’s judges should give decisions without being blackmailed and according to the constitution and the law, adding that the people of the country would implement the courts’ verdicts. “If the people could not even protect their Constitution, then we have no right to be called a nation, then our situation would be like the people of Sudan and Afghanistan.”
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Lashing out at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz, former information minister Chaudhry said that she systematically targeted the CJP, and two other judges of the apex court including Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan for giving decision to hold polls in Punjab on May 14. She wanted to build pressure to break the bench hearing the case of the NAB law amendment bill to save the skins of Sharif and Zardari families, he added, Chaudhry revealed that Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, has decided to lodge a criminal case against Maryam for defamation. He further said that she accused Bibi of taking bribes for getting official documents signed by the authorities during the PTI government. Despite the fact that the former first lady is an apolitical person, Chaudhry said, Chief Organizer PML-N Maryam continued to hurl allegations against her. “Therefore, Bibi has decided to send a legal notice to Maryam for making baseless allegations,” he said, adding that the notice will be followed by the filing of a criminal case against Maryam.
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