The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the hearing of an application filed by the Election Commission concerning the provisional registration of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a political party.

The matter relates to an earlier ruling by the AJK High Court on June 23, which had directed the Election Commission to provisionally register PTI, effectively putting on hold its May 16 decision that had rejected the party’s registration application.

A full bench of the AJK Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram, Justice Raza Ali Khan, and Justice Khalid Yousaf Chaudhary, decided that the Election Commission’s application seeking ex parte interim relief would be heard together with its petition for leave to appeal (PLA).

The court also noted that the PLA is currently under scrutiny at the registry level, and therefore both matters should proceed jointly for better adjudication.Earlier proceedings showed that PTI’s legal counsel had requested an adjournment, citing insufficient preparation time.

As a result, the court had temporarily kept the High Court’s June 23 order in abeyance until July 2, specifically regarding the interim relief granted to PTI.When the case was taken up again on Thursday, no new date was fixed for the next hearing, leaving the matter unresolved.The situation has gained additional significance as the AJK Supreme Court is set to enter its summer recess from Monday until October 7.

With general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir scheduled for July 27, the delay means the legal status of PTI’s provisional registration may remain uncertain during the election period.This uncertainty could potentially impact the political landscape as parties prepare for the upcoming polls.