- Former CJP says returning officers were appointed by ECP, not by him
Former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Tuesday rejected the rigging accusations made against him by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, terming them ‘baseless’.
The former CJP said that returning officers (ROs) for the 2013 elections were appointed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and not by him. He added that the ‘absurd’ allegations hurled by the PTI chief did not warrant a response.
Speaking to the media after addressing the Islamabad Bar, Chaudhry said the judiciary had been serving justice and would continue to do so. He said the country’s top judge had nothing to do with the elections.
The former CJP further said that a strong foundation for democracy had been laid in the country and there was no threat to it. He added that the Constitution had defined the roles of the judiciary and armed forces of Pakistan and he was sure there would not be a clash between state institutions. He said both the judiciary and armed forces were not debatable topics.
Chaudhry also demanded the payment of compensation to the victims of the Islamabad court attack on March 3, in accordance with Justice Shaukat Siddiqui’s report on the matter.