ISLAMABAD: The Shuh­ada Forum Baloc­histan (SFB) on Monday moved an application before the Supreme Court, seeking early fixing of intra-court appeals (ICAs) against the five-judge order of October last year that nullified the trial of civilians by military courts in the May 9 violence case.

The SFB urged the court to fix the ICAs in the last week of November, mentioning that the consti­tutional bench was already working and there was no embargo on its fixing.

On July 11, an SC bench had ordered the government to ensure that earlier directions about provisions of food to those under detention and their weekly meetings with family should be complied with.

The fresh application apprised the court that 103 accused were in custody, and 20 of them were released before the last Eid. However, it argued, the non-fixing of ICAs would amount to incarceration of the accused without the fate of their innocence or guilt, which too was an encroachment upon their fundamental rights.

Election disputes

Meanwhile, an SC bench will commence from Nov 21 the hearing of three election disputes from Balochistan on appeals against the election tribunal decisions. The cases relate to alleged rigging in the Feb 8 general election.

The cases relate to disputes during the elections in PB-28 Kech where Himal Khan has challenged the tribunal’s decision; PB-44 and PB-45 of Quetta where Obaidullah and Ali Madad Jattak challenged the tribunal’s decisions.

Besides, a seven-judge constitutional bench rejected a petition seeking declaration that candidates who bagged more than 50 per cent votes during the last election should be declared successful. Headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, the bench also imposed Rs20,000 fine on petitioner Maulvi Iqbal Haider, who appeared through a video link from Karachi, telling him that the matter had already been settled and, therefore, the petition had become infructuous.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2024