- Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has observed that showed constraint and now would protect the constitutional institution.
Islamabad: Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday expressed serious concerns over audio and video tapes being circulated on the social media, observing that they showed restraint but they would protect the judiciary.
“The top court is being targeted on the social media,” CJP Bandial, questioning the credibility of the audios and videos against the courts there on the social media platforms.
He gave these remarks while hearing the matter of the transfer of former CCPO Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.
Justice Bandial observed that they would protect the constitutional institution.
“Such malicious audiotapes have no importance,” the CJP further remarked.
CJP Bandial also observed that the election commission was a constitutional institution and they would provide its protection, pointing out that the election commission had mandate to conduct fair and transparent. .
The top judge made it clear that they would intervene only when malicious intention was found in holding free and fair elections.
A few days ago, two purported audio leaks against an ex-CJP and incumbent judge of the Supreme Court recently went viral on the social media.
An alleged audio of former Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Khawaja Tariq Raheem—the lawyer of PTI Chairman Imran Khan—also surfaced.
Another purported audio featuring conversation of sitting SC Judge Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi went viral on the social media.
Appeal against transfer of Lahore CCPO Dogar dismissed as withdrawn:
The apex court rejected the appeal challenging transfer of CCPO Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar after the petitioner withdrew it.
“I withdraw the appeal against the transfer of Ghulam Mehmood Dogar,” said Abid Zuberi, the counsel of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The ECP counsel said that the election was released soon after establishment of the caretaker government.
He argued that under Article 218, it was their responsibility to conduct a fair and transparent election.
The counsel also contended that the ECP had the authority to make changes in the bureaucracy to ensure a level playing field during elections.
CJP observed, “under Article 218, the ECP uses the power of transfer to ensure a fair and transparent election,”.
The CJP also observed that the ECP has powers to give orders to the caretaker government regarding transfer of officers.
Justice Yahya Afridi was another member of the bench seized with the hearing of Dogar’s transfer case.
Justice Afridi asked when did the ECP use the power of transfer and posting and when the electoral body gave approval of dogar’s transfer.
On it, the ECP lawyer submitted that the commission gave oral approval to the caretaker government for the transfer of CCPO Lahore on January 23.
He also submitted that the caretaker Punjab government decided to change the entire bureaucracy for the transparency of the election. “The authority of the ECP is very wide”, the CJP remarked.
The top judge also observed that all the political parties should get equal opportunity in the polls and the ECP should not give open powers to the caretaker government for transfer of officers.
