Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has not yet decided whether it will pursue its cases before the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), formed under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, even as dozens of the party’s petitions have already been transferred from the Supreme Court to the new judicial forum.
A member of the PTI legal team said internal discussions are ongoing over whether the party should argue its cases before the FCC. While opinions differ, most members favour appearing before the court to raise legal objections formally.
During Monday’s hearing, lawyer Sameer Khosa representing senior counsel Salman Akram Raja appeared before a six-member FCC bench led by Justice Aamer Farooq. Khosa informed the bench that he had advised his client about concerns surrounding the independence of the newly created court.
“My client needs time to consider this advice and decide whether to continue the matter here or seek alternative legal representation,” Khosa told the bench.
The wider legal community also remains divided. The Lawyers’ Action Committee, during its recent meeting, failed to reach consensus on whether to boycott the FCC.
Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed told The Express Tribune that he would not be taking up government cases before the FCC. He recently conveyed regret to the Sindh government for assigning him representation there, citing serious reservations about the forum and the government’s extensive control over judicial appointments.
In a letter to the Sindh Law Secretary, Salahuddin wrote that, given the procedural changes and the concerns raised by several bar associations, it was not possible for him to represent the government before the court.
