Registrar Office Refuses to Accept Sunni Ittehad Council’s Petition on Reserved Seats Case

Islamabad: The Registrar Office of the Supreme Court has rejected the Sunni Ittehad Council’s request to accept their petition for issuing a complete verdict with the signatures of 12 judges in the reserved seats review case.
According to Express News, Senior lawyer Hamid Khan, representing the Sunni Ittehad Council, filed the petition, arguing that the Supreme Court’s order of May 6 stated that the views of the dissenting judges should be included in the final decision. However, the signatures of Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Aqeel Abbasi were missing from the June 27 short order.
The Sunni Ittehad Council emphasized that this issue pertains to fundamental rights and public interest, and a decision with the signatures of all 12 judges would carry more weight. They requested that the order, signed by Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Aqeel Abbasi, be issued on the Supreme Court’s official website.
Sources revealed that the Registrar Office refused to accept the petition, stating that the petitioner should apply for a certified copy. The office further clarified that once the judicial order reaches them, it will be provided to the petitioner.
In a related development, PTI leader Kanwal Shauzab, through lawyer Salman Akram Raja, wrote a letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court. The letter highlighted that the short order issued on June 27 concerning the reserved seats review case only contained the signatures of 10 judges. It was argued that after Justice Salahuddin Panhwar’s separation from the bench, the signatures of all 12 judges were essential. Justices Jamal Mandokhel, Mazhar, and Hassan Azhar gave separate opinions, and certified copies of each judge’s individual verdict should be provided.