ISLAMABAD: The latest leaked audio purportedly features a conversation between two women, one of whom is said to be the mother-in-law of a top-ranking serving judge of the Supreme Court, while the other is spouse of one of the PTI’s legal advisers Khawaja Tariq Rahim.

While the identities of the women in question could not be independently verified, the clip — which has been widely circula­ted on social and mainstream media — has evoked a stern reaction from across the political divide, along with calls for a thorough probe.

In their conversation, the two women were purportedly discussing a sub juice matter regarding the suo motu notice by CJP Umar Ata Bandial on the delay of elections to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.

Fresh clip purportedly features SC judge’s relative, PTI leader’s wife discussing early elections, bill to regulate top judge’s power and martial law

A three-member Supreme Court judge — comprising the chief justice, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — is hearing the said case.

In the leaked conversation, the two women can be heard discussing the chief justice’s prerogative to take suo motu notice, the law regulating the top judge’s power and the possibility of snap elections and martial law.

The voice believed to belong to Mr Rahim’s wife could be heard saying that she had sent a message to CJP Bandial stating that there were hundreds of thousands of people supporting and praying for him.

“I was present at the Lahore rally [and] hundreds of thousands of people were there,” she said while referring to the PTI’s rally at Minar-i-Pakistan last month.

“Just like that there are hundreds of thousands of people in every city and you can imagine how many people are praying for you,” said the voice.

In reply, the voice of a woman said to be related to a serving Supreme Court justice, criticised the government whom she said was questioning the CJP’s decision to exercise his power of taking the suo motu notice.

“Now they are saying why we got the authority to do it … and also questioning why suo motu [notice] was taken,” the voice says.

“This was his [the CJP’s] right,” the other voice replies while calling the chief justice’s critics “traitors of this country”.

The two women also discussed early elections, with one purportedly expressing the desire for polls “as early as possible”.

“If elections are not held, then martial law will be enforced,” the PTI leader’s wife replied. “They [the incumbent government] can’t stay. That’s it”

“They are not ready to enforce martial law,” the judge’s relative replied in an apparent reference to the military’s reluctance to intervene.

“They’re completely ready,” the voice said to be a PTI leader’s wife said before the clip ends.