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The Supreme Court (SC) received a request from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday asking to be added as a party to the issue involving the deputy speaker ruling that is currently being heard by the court.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi petitioned the SC regarding Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari"s decision to disregard the party members" votes in the run-up to the provincial chief executive"s election, prompting the PPP lawyer Farooq Naik to make the request.

According to the motion, the PPP was argued to be a "necessary party" to the case since it is "one of the largest political parties of Pakistan" and "ought to be affected by any decision made" by the court as it interprets Article 63-A of the Pakistani Constitution.

The petition claimed that PPP leaders "have always been victims of circumstances such as political manoeuvring, martial laws, and coups resulting in the overthrow of elected governments followed by judicial murder and assassinations." It cited the case of senior party leader and former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, in which seven votes were ignored, costing him the election.

The application stated that it would be in the best interest of everyone if the applicant was included as a party and given the opportunity to be heard before this Honourable Court issued any rulings interpreting Article 63-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973.

The PPP petition also stated that if it is "not heard in this matter of great importance, not only [the] PPP as a political party but also all the members will be condemned unheard," and pleaded with the court that "refusing to hear the above-named candidate would be abusive to judicial conscience and would cause a preservation of injustice which would not be allowed to exist by a just judicial system."

A large police presence

In the meantime, a large number of police have been deployed at the Supreme Court as tensions remain high ahead of today"s hearing.

A large number of Rangers, FC, and police officers can be seen on the court grounds.

Roadblocks and detours were also put in place from Zulfiqar Chowk to Rohtas Road.

The Islamabad Police has advised presidential candidates and political workers to force entry only with the permission of the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the police have stated that any political gatherings or processions will be "strictly prohibited."