ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has yet to decide on boycotting the Federal Constitutional Court proceedings; however, intra-party consultations are underway in this regard.
“Though we do not recognise this court, we can raise our voice through the media while appearing before it,” PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Tuesday.
Raja appeared before a five-member larger bench of the Federal Constitutional Court in connection with his Intra Court Appeal (ICA) against the appointment of retired judges in the election tribunals.
“These are important matters on which we have to decide, but after all a court has been established while a petition pertaining to PTI founder Imran Khan’s solitary confinement is also due to be heard by this court. If we appear before this court, our voice will reach the people of Pakistan through the media,” Raja said.
Meanwhile, a five-member larger bench of the Federal Constitutional Court, headed by Justice Aamer Farooq, heard the Intra Court Appeal (ICA) of Salman Akram Raja.
The other bench members included Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, Justice K.K. Agha, Justice Rozi Khan Baloch, and Justice Arshad Hussain.
Raja’s counsel Sameer Khosa objected to Justice Aamer Farooq heading the bench, arguing that he had previously decided a similar matter while serving as a judge of the High Court. Therefore, the first question, he said, was about the competence of the bench.
Justice Najafi asked Khosa whether the intra-court appeal was even maintainable. Justice Aamer Farooq clarified that the petition the lawyer was referring to had been filed with objections from the Registrar’s Office, and that he had not issued any decision on any petition filed by the appellant in this case.
Justice Aamer added that even if he had ruled in some other matter, it had no relevance to the present case.
Khosa submitted that he had already informed his client about the powers and independence of the Constitutional Court and that he now needed further instructions on whether to proceed with the case.
He requested some time, which the court granted and adjourned the hearing for date-in-office (Indefinite period).
