ISLAMABAD: A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Atta Umar Bandial has resumed hearing various petitions filed against the formation of a high-powered judicial commission to inquire into various audio leaks of members of the judiciary.
The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed on behalf of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid Shahid Zuberi, SCBA Secretary Muqtada. Heard on four separate petitions filed. Akhtar Shabbir, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi.
All the petitions have requested the Supreme Court to declare the constitution of the commission illegal.
Ahead of today’s hearing, Zuberi submitted several orders of various high courts before the bench, requesting that these documents be taken into consideration for the “proper decision” of the present case.
These orders included earlier decisions of the Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court and Lahore High Court.
In a brief preliminary hearing on May 31, the federal government had asked Chief Justice Bandyal, Justice Ahsan and Justice Akhtar to recuse themselves from the bench, adding that the bench hearing the case should be reconstituted. .
Moreover, the commission headed by Justice Isa also raised objection to the five-member bench hearing the petitions and said that it would not be appropriate for the bench to hear the petitions.
The commission held that the judicial panel has no interest in the matter except to carry out the responsibility given to it and strictly in accordance with the constitution and law.
