Supreme Court Rejects Petition Against Recognizing Sunni Ittehad Council as Parliamentary Party

Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s constitutional bench dismissed a petition challenging the recognition of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) as a parliamentary party. During the hearing, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel questioned the petitioner’s counsel, asking, “Why do you want us to engage in unconstitutional actions?”
The seven-member bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, also included Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarat Hilali, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan. The case was heard regarding the petition filed by Maulana Iqbal Haider, who argued that his petition was filed within the stipulated time. He requested that the matter be reviewed in a pending revision case.
Justice Mandokhel remarked, “Why do you want us to engage in unconstitutional actions? It is up to the candidates to decide whether they wish to join a political party or not.” Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan also noted that the petitioner seemed to be heading in the same direction that led to the imposition of the ban in the first place.
The Supreme Court upheld the Registrar’s objections and rejected the petition seeking the recognition of SIC as a parliamentary party.
Earlier last week, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench had scheduled hearings for over 2,000 cases, including those related to the extension of the army chief’s tenure, the recognition of SIC as a parliamentary party, and the formation of the audio leaks commission.
On November 5, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, held its first meeting under the 26th Amendment, during which the formation of constitutional benches was discussed. A vote was held, and 7 out of 12 members of the commission supported the formation of a 7-member constitutional bench, while 5 members opposed it.