In a major legal and political development, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) has asked two Supreme Court of Pakistan judges to recuse themselves from the cases involving the ruling party.
The demand has been made in a statement issued at the end of a PMLN meeting under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi should recuse themselves from cases of PMLN, said the statement.
Both judges have been on several benches hearing key political issues involving the interpretation of the Constitution.
Justice Naqvi was on the bench that restored Lahore Police Chief Ghulam Dogar last week.
A recording of the phone conversation between Dogar and PTI leader Yasmin Rashid suggested the PTI was anxiously waiting for his restoration.
In the same case, a rare showdown between judges and the chief election commissioner made headlines.
The judges made reference to certain ‘Mr X’ using the same term PTI chief Imran Khan had deployed in the past to attack his political opponents.
The PMLN meeting was briefed by a legal team about the cases involving the party or its leaders and heard by the two judges.
Sources told Aaj News that the party decided it would formally request the two judges to recuse themselves from PMLN cases.
PMLN leader and Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir said after the meeting that justice should not only be done it must also be seen to be done.
He claimed that recent judgments betrayed that the two judges were biased against the party and audio leaks have proved the notion.
PMLN has made the rare demand at a time when PTI has been accusing it of running a campaign against the judiciary.
