Khawaja Asif raises concerns over possible election audit

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed apprehensions regarding the potential audit of the 2024 elections following changes in the judiciary, referring to the upcoming retirement of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on the 25th of this month.

The minister's remarks come at a time when the coalition government is making an all-out effort to pass a constitutional package. The Centre's proposed constitutional amendment bill is aimed at making major changes to Pakistan’s judicial and parliamentary systems.

Speaking to a private news channel in an interview on Tuesday, the minister said, "I pray that the current political strife in the country does not reach a point where this apprehension turns into reality. It can turn very bitter."

The defence czar said that he had received indications of the possibility of the fear coming true when he first raised the issue.

The same concerns were voiced on October 2 by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who warned of potential confrontation if the proposed amendments did not pass before October 25.

“Matter will be resolved peacefully, if the amendment passed before October 25 […] Otherwise, the situation would lead to confrontation,” he had said.

The government seeks to extend the service period of the judges and establish constitutional courts through the bill, which the opposition parties, especially Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vehemently oppose.

A day earlier, a new petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the proposed amendments. The petitioner requested the court to declare the proposed amendments to extend the tenure of the top judge as unconstitutional as it stands in violation of the fundamental principles of judicial independence and separation of powers.

However, the apex court's registrar returned the application with objections, saying that hypothetical questions have been posed in it.

A similar petition was filed last month by former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Abid Zuberi, former federal minister for education Shafqat Mahmood, Shahab Sarki, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, Munir Kakar and others.

In the same current affairs programme, Khawaja Asif also claimed that the government will issue the notification of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah becoming the next CJ of the top court, adding that there is no issue with this.

The PTI in August demanded the early issuance of a notification regarding the appointment of the next top judge.

PTI founder Imran Khan on September 25 said that his party would back Justice Shah to become the top judge of the country.

"The appointment of the next chief justice should be announced soon. [We] completely back Justice Mansoor Ali Shah," the former prime minister said while speaking to journalists informally in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.