As Pakistan approaches the 2024 general elections, Imran Khan, Chairman ofPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan(CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to ensure a level playing field for his party beforethe anticipated polls on February 8 next year.
Despite being incarcerated in Adiala jail, the former prime minister, in aletter, expressed concerns about the “discrimination” faced by PTI andsought equal opportunities for the party’s political campaign. Khan urgedthe CJP to use constitutional authority to direct federal and provincialgovernments, along with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), topermit PTI to hold political meetings and gatherings without”discrimination.”
The deposed prime minister, ousted via a no-trust motion in April lastyear, stated in the letter that PTI leaders and activists are beingtargeted with multiple criminal cases as a tactic of abuse and oppression.He emphasized that individuals bailed out in one or more cases areimmediately booked in further cases, often related to events several monthsin the past.
The letter highlighted the continued imprisonment of several women arrestedin connection with the May 9 events. The letter drew the CJP’s attention toPTI’s petitions in provincial high courts against arrests and cases in”undisclosed” FIRs, but unfavorable observations by an apex court benchhindered the high courts from preserving the rights of PTI leaders andactivists to liberty.
He said that the actions “favouring one set of political actors” andagainst PTI were breeding disgust in people, including the PTI supporters.
“In view of the foregoing, it is respectfully prayed that the apex court ofthe country may kindly exercise the power available to it to ensure theenforcement of fundamental rights and to grant to the people of Pakistanjustice by making, inter alia, the following orders:”
The former premier, incarcerated in Adiala jail in a cipher and corruptioncase, emphasized the need for the apex court’s intervention to haltwidespread arrests and abductions for fair general elections. Khan pointedout actions “favoring one set of political actors” and against PTI,breeding discontent among the people, including PTI supporters.
The letter drew the CJP’s attention towards the PTI’s petitions that movedthe provincial high courts against such arrests and registration of casesin “undisclosed” FIRs but “the unfavourable observations of a bench of theapex court” disabled the high courts from preserving the PTI leaders andactivists’ right to liberty.
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“However, the unfavourable observations of a bench of the apex courtagainst the salutary safeguard provided by the respective high courts hasdisabled the high courts from acting to preserve the right to liberty anddue process available to the people of Pakistan, inclusive of thesupporters of the PTI. Following the observations of the apex court a freshwave of state operation has swept across the provinces of Punjab, KhyberPakhtunkhwa and the Islamabad capital territory.”
“This is a situation that demands judicial notice and immediateconsideration by the apex court”.
The letter also shed light on the disappearances of the individualsaffiliated to the PTI or the past government led by the party, and theirdisassociation with the party later at some point.
“These persons have re-appeared and made press conferences that are clearlytutored”.
The PTI chief stated that there was no possibility of fair generalelections without SC’s intervention to stop the widespread arrests andabductions.
The letter respectfully requested the apex court to halt arrests and FIRregistrations against bailed-out individuals and establish a commission toinvestigate abductions and disappearances. Additionally, it urged the courtto direct the federal government and Pakistan Electronic Media RegulatoryAuthority (Pemra) to ensure unbiased media coverage for all politicalparties and their leaders.