Coalition parties reject Supreme Court larger bench as ‘controversia

Supreme Court stops implementation of bill curtailing CJP’s powers.

 

ISLAMABAD – Leaders of the ruling coalition alliance said on Thursday that no one could be given the right to stop the Parliament from enacting laws.

Addressing a press conference, the leaders of the ruling parties said that the bill had not been made yet and an 8-member bench had been constituted. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Law Azam Nazir Tarar said that all the parties had demanded formation of a full court. He added that the petition was filed in haste and a bench was formed.

He said that this was the interference of institutions in the legislative authority of the Parliament. Tarar asked the reason that why the judges of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had not been included in the bench.

The federal minister said that no compromise would be made on the right of the people. He said no one could be given the authority to stop the Parliament from enacting laws. Tarar said all the seniority norms were ignored while forming a ‘selective’ bench and an eight-member bench was formed through pick and choose.

He said that the impression of division in the judiciary had come to the fore and it was expected that the bench would be dissolved today (Thursday). Tarar said, “If a law is made, the court can review it, the timing of filing a case on the judicial reform bill is not appropriate and the case cannot be conducted.

People’s Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, speaking on the occasion, said that the bill was still with the Parliament and the Supreme Court had taken it up. Kaira said, “Do you want to stop the Parliament from exercising its authority? All the parties have struggled hard to make the Parliament authoritative.”

He said that the attempt was being made to snatch authority of the Parliament by forming such bench which was unacceptable. “We are again telling that the method of forming the bench is not right,” he mintained.

The People’s Party leader said that brazenness, stubbornness and arrogance were being exhibited. What impression would the people be getting after seeing the bench list. “If it continues like this, we will not accept it,” he concluded.

 

 

Earlier,

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday stopped the implementation of the Supreme Court (Paractice and Procedure) Bill 2023, aimed at curtailing Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP)’s power to take suo motu notice, until further orders.

An eight-member bench of the apex court, headed by CJP Uma Ata Bandial, issued an eight-page order in the case against the bill, wherein four petitions had been filed by Advocate Khawaja Tariq Rahim and others. The written order stated that the bill would not be implemented, regardless of whether President Dr Arif Alvi signed it or not.

Later, the court adjourend the hearing until May 2.