Islamabad : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to recuse himself from the benches hearing cases related to the political party, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
Also, PTI founder Imran Khan has said that he was contemplating going on a hunger strike if he continued to be denied justice.
Speaking to reporters after attending court proceedings in the £190m corruption case on Friday, former Pakistan PM Imran Khan said that the decision on the cases must be made on the basis of 'like or dislike', as all citizens are equal before the law.
He stated that every other case involving PTI was fixed before CJP Isa despite his lawyer's objection to the CJP's presence on the bench. The PTI founder said that his legal team wanted such cases to be transferred away from Courtroom 1, according to Dawn report.
Imran Khan reiterated his allegation that Adiala Jail was being managed by some colonel or major and added that the jail superintendent served "under their command" who did not allow him to meet with PTI leaders.
Some PTI leaders had come to the jail to meet Imran Khan over the party's internal disputes. However, the jailer, allegedly as per the instructions of that military officer, did not allow them to meet Imran Khan for at least three hours, Dawn reported.
Imran Khan said he was considering the decision to go on a hunger strike and would do so if justice was denied. Speaking to reporters, Khan said he would advise his party leaders not to make internal differences public, as it would divert attention from the real cause. PTI founder further said that the recent budget had already buried Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) politics.
Meanwhile, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan demanded that the Chief Justice of Pakistan should recuse himself from all cases related to PTI as they had reservations about him, the report said.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen said that the party wanted that decisions should be made based on the law and the Constitution. He further said that the CJP should not remain on the bench, as the the party and its leader had expressed reservations about CJP.
PTI leader Shaukat Basra said that all 180 PTI Members of National Assembly and Members of Provincial Assembly from across the country would appear in court to express their reservations. Khan (71), who served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges.