ISLAMABAD: The hearing of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition against the postponement of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa elections in the Supreme Court will resume today (Wednesday) for the third consecutive day at 11:30 am. Taking the case.
A 5-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial will conduct the hearing. Other members of the bench include Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandukhel.
The Imran Khan-led party had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone the polls in Punjab to October 8, instead of President Arif Alvi, citing the Supreme Court’s split decision last month. I had decided.
The electoral body’s announcement came after financial and security officials expressed reluctance to support the electoral process.
Subsequently, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali also urged the electoral body to hold general elections on the same date (October 8) as Punjab in view of the growing security threats posed by terrorist groups operating from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas. There are elections.
Registrar office accepts ruling alliance’s pleas to become party in case
The Registrar’s Office of the Supreme Court accepted the separate pleas of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) to become parties in the case.
The coalition government had decided to become a party in the case a day ago.
Members of the ruling coalition had filed petitions in the Supreme Court to become parties and will present their stand when the hearing resumes.
ECP hastily penned decision to delay polls in Punjab: CJP
On the second hearing of the petition on Tuesday, Chief Justice Bandyal said that the decision to postpone the elections in Punjab was taken in haste by the election body.
The Chief Justice also said that the strongly dissenting note by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandukhel on the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Punjab and KP elections on March 1 was their “opinion” and its ongoing case. had nothing to do with
Formation of full court
During the hearing, the government counsel had requested to constitute a full court on the matter.
The Attorney General of Pakistan had said that “it is requested that this is an important matter and if the bench deems it appropriate, a full court should be constituted”.
Justice Mandukhel, however, remarked that the number of judges upholding the March 1 verdict was an internal matter of the Supreme Court.
Govt tables bill to clip CJP suo motu powers in NA
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved a bill titled “Supreme Court (Practice and Protection) Bill 2023” to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice to be tabled in the National Assembly by the government.
The government also passed a resolution stating that “undue interference of the judiciary in political matters has been attributed to political instability in the country”.
The “Supreme Court (Practice and Protection) Bill, 2023” prescribes that every cause, appeal or matter before the Supreme Court be heard and disposed of by a bench constituted by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and a committee consisting of the two most senior judges. will be given. Order of seniority.
It further states that any matter of exercise of original jurisdiction under Clause (3) of Article 184 of the Constitution shall first be placed before the Committee for examination and if the Committee is of the opinion that the application of the law It is a question of public importance. If any of the fundamental rights are involved, he shall constitute a bench of at least three judges of the Supreme Court, which may also include members of the committee for deciding the matter.
It recommends that an appeal be filed within 30 days from the final order of a Bench of the Supreme Court, which has exercised jurisdiction to constitute a larger Bench of the Supreme Court and to hear such appeal. Therefore, it will be decided within a period of not more than fourteen days.
Additionally, it gives a party the right to appoint counsel of his choice to file a review petition.
An application seeking urgent or interim relief filed in any cause, appeal or matter shall be fixed for hearing within 14 days from the date of filing.
