PPP calls for early determination of limits of suo motu powers

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has expressed disappointment over the rejection of the review petitions in the benami accounts case and called for an early determination of the limits of suo motu powers of the Supreme Court.

“The points raised in the review petition particularly with regard to the limitations on exercise of suo motu powers are of fundamental importance and calls for a parliamentary debate on the determination of limits of these powers,” said Secretary General of the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians former Senator Farhatullah Babar in a party’s reaction on the dismissal of review petitions filed in fake account case.

Farhatullah Babar also recalled the interview of Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Munich the other day underlining that he had not been given an opportunity to present his point of view in a court of law in the said case which, he said, was a negation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to fair trial under Article 10-A of the Constitution. “Suo motu notice was taken by the Supreme Court on the ground of slackness in investigations in the case,” he said.

He said Bilawal Bhutto had in his petition questioned whether slackness in the progress of a case constituted a valid ground for use of suo motu powers.” FIR had been registered, investigations were continuing, preliminary report had been finalised and the case was proceeding in banking court,” he said, adding that that is why the review petition also urged the Supreme Court to constitute a larger bench to address the constitutional issue of limits of suo motu powers.