CJP  says will steer clear of economic intervention

Petitioner against audio leaks body moves SC against registrar office objections,

ISLAMABAD – Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial remarked on Monday that the court would not intervene in matters related to economy as it had no expertise to deal with it.

The top judge made the remarks when a three-member bench headed by him took up a case regarding privatisation of the Karachi Electric (KE). “We will not interfere in economic matters as we don’t have experience of it,” he said.

The CJP told the petitioner’s lawyer, Rashid Rizvi, that he could approach the relevant court in this regard. The lawyer requested the court to adjourn the hearing till next week.

The chief justice replied summer vacation would begin next week and judges should visit relevant registries to hear the cases. He said the court would resume hearing tomorrow (Tuesday).

Earlier,

The applicant in the contempt of court petition against the audio leaks commission has filed an appeal against the Supreme Court registrar’s objections. Petitioner Riaz Hanif maintains that the Justice Qazi Faez Isa-led commission overruled the order of the Supreme Court.

It seeks contempt of court action against the commission members for violating the court order.

The objections to the contempt of court application should be removed and scheduled for hearing, requested It also seeks that the registrar office’s objections to the contempt petition should be removed and it be fixed for hearing.

The petition says the registrar’s objections are unwarranted. Riaz Hanif Rahi’s contempt of court petition was returned by the registrar’s office with objections.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had issued its order of the previous hearing on the applications against the commission. The order says that the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) told the court the federal government has objected to the bench. The next hearing on the petitions will be held on June 6.

The AGP told the court the federal government had filed a written application against the judges. The registrar’s office should register the federal government’s application, the order stated.