Supreme Court Rejects Suo Motu Request on PTI Protest Deaths
The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s constitutional bench has rejected a request to take suo motu notice of the deaths reported during the recent violent protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters.
The Request
The request was made by the Additional Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during a hearing on Monday. Appearing via video link in a separate case related to the Climate Change Authority, the KP lawyer urged the five-member constitutional bench to intervene in the matter, citing that deaths had occurred on both sides during the protests. The lawyer called for the court to take suo motu notice of these incidents.
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Court’s Response
However, the bench, led by Justice Musarat Hilali, firmly dismissed the plea. Justice Hilali emphasized the court’s focus on the matter at hand, stating, “Don’t talk politics while appearing in the Supreme Court.”
Clarifications from the Bench
Justice Aminuddin clarified the court’s position, asserting, “This matter is not before us; we cannot see it.” Meanwhile, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel echoed similar sentiments, expressing, “We don’t want to discuss matters that are not under our consideration.”
Judicial Restraint
The bench’s decision signals judicial restraint in engaging with politically charged incidents that are not directly related to the case being heard. As a result, the issue of deaths during PTI protests remains unresolved at the judicial level.
Mixed Reactions
The court’s stance has sparked mixed reactions. Some legal experts argue that the judiciary should have exercised oversight over the deaths, while others commend the court for maintaining focus on the cases currently before it, rather than getting involved in political matters.
The rejection leaves the deaths during PTI protests to be addressed through other channels, with many now looking to political or executive bodies to take action.
