PTI seeks SC full bench on presidential reference

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday asked the Supreme Court to constitute a full court to hear the presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution.

PTI leader Babar Awan filed a Civil Miscellaneous Application to the Supreme Court praying for constitution of a full court for hearing the presidential reference He submitted that as important legal questions had been raised in the Presidential Reference while a five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial was already hearing it.

He, however, submitted that the said bench had recently given an observation regarding Article 63-A of the Constitution in its April 7 order in the suo motu case on ruling of the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, therefore, it was necessary that the presidential reference should be heard by a full court instead of the five-member bench.

He further submitted the reference pertained questions on independence of judiciary, separation of powers, supremacy of the parliament as well as future of the parliamentary form of government.

Similarly, he said that in the past the full court had heard the presidential reference regarding Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as well as the 18th Constitutional Amendment and other public interest cases.

Therefore, he prayed that a full court should also hear the presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution. It is pertinent to mention that a five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial will resume on Tuesday (today) at 1pm hearing of the Presidential Reference.

The court had halted the proceedings in this matter and heard its suo motu case taken on the ruling of the deputy speaker of the National Assembly. The court had clubbed the suo motu case with the presidential reference.