Salman Akram Raja Moves Supreme Court to Activate Election Tribunals in Punjab

Islamabad: Advocate Salman Akram Raja has approached the Supreme Court to activate election tribunals in Punjab, filing a review petition against the court's order dated July 4.

In the petition, Raja argued that the July 4 decision directed the Election Commission to consult with the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC), but did not provide clear guidelines for this consultation. He emphasized that any judge appointed by the Chief Justice is considered the most credible.

Raja contended that the LHC's decision to appoint judges for the tribunals was correct, and that the Election Commission had no legal justification for rejecting these appointments. He highlighted that two Supreme Court judges had declared the Election Commission's stance incorrect, affirming that the commission does not have the authority to select judges for the tribunals.

The petition stated that the Supreme Court's suspension of the LHC's decision was inappropriate and did not nullify the appointments made by the LHC. Raja insisted that the Election Commission should consult with and provide reasons to the LHC regarding the nominated judges.

He urged the court to reactivate the election tribunals in Punjab, stressing that the Election Commission must present solid reasons for rejecting the LHC's nominated judges. The authority to determine the jurisdiction of judges working in the election tribunals in Punjab, he argued, lies with the LHC.

Raja's petition calls for the reactivation of election tribunals to ensure the smooth continuation of their functions in Punjab.