SC to hear pleas against legislation curtailing CJP powers on Tuesday

All stakeholders including AGP, PML-N, and PTI issued notices for hearing on May 2

By Sohail Khan

April 30, 2023

A policeman walks past the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, Pakistan. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will resume hearing next week petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 that aimed at curtailing the powers of suo motu jurisdiction of the Chief Justice of Pakistan as well as the constitution of benches.

An eight-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsen, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Mrs Ayesha A Malik, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed, will resume hearing on May 2 (Tuesday) at 12:30 pm.

The court has issued notices to the respondents and Attorney General for Pakistan, Supreme Court Bar Association through its president and the Pakistan Bar Council through its vice chairman.

Similarly, the court also issued notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PMLQ) with the direction that they if so desire, appear through duly instructed counsels and adjourned the hearing until May 2.

Advocate Muhammad Shafay Munir, Raja Aamir Khan and Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain had challenged the constitutionality of federal legislation, being the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023.

Earlier, on April 13, the larger bench had stayed the operation on the bill (now an act) till further order.