The federal government has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking reconstitution of the bench hearing the PTI petition which has challenged the ECP decision to postpone elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

The government also requested the court to reject the PTI petition.

The federal government has submitted its reply to the Supreme Court in the poll delay case. 

Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan filed a miscellaneous plea in the apex court ahead of the scheduled hearing of the poll delay case today.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan is hearing the case today. 

In its petition, the federal government said that the March 1 order was given by the majority, requesting that the three-member bench should not hear the PTI petition. 

It prayed that after Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s decision, the PTI petition should be postponed. 

It requested that the judges of the Supreme Court who have heard the election case should be removed and a new bench including the remaining judges should be formed. 

Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan has refused to hear the election case in the first round, the petition stated, adding the decision in the first round was given by 4-3 majority. 

Chief Justice of Pakistan Bandial and Justice Munib Akhtar were part of the bench which had announced the decision. 

So these two justices should not hear the case, the government pleaded. 

Reporter Amanat Gishkori