SC adjourns review petitions against reserved seats judgment

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday adjourned until May 13 hearing into the review petitions against judgment on reserved seats after counsel for Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) could not appear before the court.

An 11-member constitutional bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the review petitions filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), PMLN and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) against the July 12, 2024 verdict in reserved seats case.

During the course of hearing, Justice Aminuddin Khan said that the bench actually comprised 13 members, however, two judges of the instant bench, including Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbassi, the other day had dismissed the review petitions in Constitutional bench, hence the reasons will be made part of the order of the court.

Similarly, Justice Aminuddin Khan said that a new bench will hear the contempt case against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, however, questioned as to whether notice was issued to the alleged contemners to appear before the court.

Sajeel Swati, counsel representing Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and other members of the commission, appeared before the court.

Justice Mandokhail, however, questioned that instead of the alleged contemnors, how their counsel can appear before the court. Sajeel Swati, however, contended that when a show cause notice of contempt is issued, someone appears in-person.

“Don’t tell us this as we will also issue contempt notice,” Justice Mandokhail told the counsel. The bench the other day had issued a notice to the Election Commission for Pakistan on a contempt petition of Kanwal Shozaf seeking contempt proceedings against CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja and other members of the commission for not implementing the July 12 order of the Supreme Court in reserved seats case. The court had directed the ECP to file a reply in the contempt petition.

Meanwhile, during the proceedings on Wednesday, Hamid Khan told the bench that Faisal Siddiqui, main counsel for Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), could not appear before the court due to cancelation of flights over the emergency situation in the country. He further told the court that motorways were also closed, hence the case should be adjourned for three weeks.

The court, however, adjourned the matter until May 13.