PTI Leaders Demand Release of Imran Khan In A Protest Outside Supreme Court

On Monday, PTI leaders staged a protest outside the Supreme Court, calling for the release of their party founder, Imran Khan. This demonstration coincided with the apex court's resumed hearing of a petition by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) concerning the allocation of reserved assembly seats for women and minorities.

As the Supreme Court deliberated on the case, Justice Munib Akhtar raised critical questions about the actions of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He pointed out that the ECP appeared to be reclassifying returned candidates of a political party as 'independents.' “Are we going to be so blinded by the harsh political realities that if the ECP, on its own cascades of errors, was channelising, shoehorning people who are returned candidates into an ‘independent’ status, are we bound by that or by what mainly is the intent of the paragraph?” Justice Akhtar queried.

Why This Matters: The hearing was conducted by a full bench of 13 justices, including Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Yahya Afridi, Aminuddin Khan, Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Athar Minallah, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed, Irfan Saadat Khan, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan. The proceedings were broadcast live on the Supreme Court's website and its YouTube channel.

The Sunni Ittehad Council, now supported by PTI-backed independent candidates, filed the petition after their party was stripped of its electoral symbol, the 'bat,' following a Supreme Court ruling. The petition argues against the denial of reserved seats in the assemblies for women and minorities, a significant issue given the broader political context.

Justice Akhtar's remarks highlighted the complexities and potential oversights in the ECP's handling of the candidates' status. The SIC, representing PTI-backed candidates who won the February 8 elections, claims that these administrative decisions are unjust and undermine their political representation.

Key Takeaways:

• PTI protests outside Supreme Court for Imran Khan’s release.
• Supreme Court reviews petition on reserved assembly seats for women and minorities.
• Justice Akhtar questions ECP’s reclassification of political candidates as independents.
• Full 13-member bench hears the Sunni Ittehad Council's petition.
• SIC supported by PTI-backed independents after loss of 'bat' symbol.