The Punjab government raised an objection on the Supreme Court bench hearing a petition filed by former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, seeking to club multiple FIRs registered against him related to the May 9 incidents.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar heard the case, during which Fawad Chaudhry argued that 35 FIRs were filed across different police stations regarding the same incident, which he said was against legal norms and could amount to political victimisation.

Chaudhry maintained that multiple FIRs on a single incident are not legally sustainable, and called for all cases to be consolidated into a single trial to ensure fairness and avoid legal complications.

Justice Kakar noted that, prima facie, proceedings should ideally be based on the first registered FIR.

During proceedings, the Punjab government’s prosecutor objected to the composition of the current bench, arguing that since Fawad Chaudhry had challenged a two-member Lahore High Court decision, the matter should be heard by a three-member bench in accordance with constitutional requirements.

The court accepted the objection and referred the case to the Supreme Court’s Judges Committee, recommending that it be listed before a three-member bench. The Registrar’s Office has been instructed to schedule the case for next Monday.