Parliament’s joint session advanced to May 4

ISLAMABAD – The Speaker office on Tuesday refused to give record of parliamentary proceedings related to law curtailing the chief justice of Pakistan’s powers to the Supreme Court.

Sources said the SC registrar had sought the record on the directions of the eight-member bench hearing the case earlier today (Tuesday). “The SC registrar had written to the Speaker office to furnish record of the last five assembly proceedings and that of the Senate’s standing committee on finance,” sources added. The last five NA sessions had been summoned on April 6, 10, 17, 26, and 27.

SC registrar’s office seeks record of NA sessions

Earlier, the Supreme Court had sought parliamentary record regarding the law that aims at curtailing the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan.

An eight-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazahir Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed, heard the petitions filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution against the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, aimed at curtailing the CJP’s power to take suo motu notice.

The bill aims at curtailing the powers of the CJP regarding taking suo motu notice under clause (3) of Article 184 of the constitution. It further stated that any matter invoking the exercise of original jurisdiction under clause 3 of Article 184 of the constitution should first be placed before the committee for examination, and if the committee reckoned that if a question of public importance concerning enforcement of any of the fundamental rights was involved, it should constitute a bench comprising not less than three judges of the apex court that might include the members of the committee for adjudication of the matter.

Meanwhile,

The joint session of the Parliament has been advanced to May 4, the National Assembly Secretariat announced on Tuesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf changed the schedule for the joint sitting of the Parliament. According to which the joint session which was due to take place at 4:00 pm on May 15 will now be held at 11:00 am on May 4 at the Parliament House.

The speaker changed the schedule using his powers in accordance with clause 4 of Parliament Joint Sitting Rules 1973.

National Assembly Secretariat issued a circular on Tuesday regarding change in the schedule of the Parliament’s joint session.