PM Shehbaz holds meeting with legal team, takes key decisions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has chaired an important meeting with the legal team and took ‘key decisions’, citing sources, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Sources told ARY News that the participants reviewed the notices issued by the Supreme Court (SC) following the non-implementation of the orders related to the elections. They held consultations over the next strategy ahead of the court proceedings.

It has been decided that the federal government will defend the Supreme Court (SC) Practice and Procedure Bill. Moreover, the premier also summoned a high-level session of the political leadership on Thursday.

READ: FAWAD CHAUDHRY SAYS ‘SC GAVE THREE ORDERS FOR PUNJAB ELECTIONS’

The upcoming session will be attended by the top leaders and ministers of the coalition parties, sources told ARY News. They added that the federal government will devise a strategy for the cases being by the top court.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court (SC) issued notices to the finance secretary, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over the non-implementation of its order passed on April 4 to disburse funds for Punjab and KP elections.

SC to hear constitutional petitions

Earlier in the day, it was learnt that an eight-member larger bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial will hear the constitutional petitions against the Supreme Court (SC) Practice & Procedure Bill on Thursday (today).

The CJP-led larger bench will hear the constitutional petitions against the Supreme Court (SC) Practice & Procedure Bill today. The petitions sought nullification of the bill.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Muzahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi were included in the bench.

Parliament passes bill

On Monday, amid strong protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, the Joint Sitting of Parliament passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, which aims to curtail the suo motu powers of office of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 which was passed by the Parliament.

It is to mention that President Dr Arif Alvi had returned the ‘judicial reforms’ bill for reconsideration to the Parliament as per the provisions of Article 75 of the Constitution.

The joint sitting of Parliament reconsidered it and passed the legislative proposal. Former Minister for Law and Justice and Senator Farooq H. Naek and JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza spoke on the various sections of the bill and were of the view that was the right time of legislation which would ensure reforms in judicial affairs.

Bill challenged in LHC

Earlier today, the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, which aims to curtail the suo motu powers of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) has been challenged in Lahore High Court (LHC).

The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act was challenged by a citizen named Mashkoor Hussain through his lawyer Nadeem Sarwar in the LHC.

After approval from both Senate and National Assembly the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill has become an act, the plea said and added that the right to appeal in suo moto cases is against the constitution.