SC bill: Hearing adjourned for indefinite period

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 for an indefinite period due to the unavailability of one of the members of the bench, ARY News reported. 

An eight-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprises Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed is hearing the pleas against SC bill passed by the joint sitting of the Parliament.

According to the court staff, the hearing had been adjourned indefinitely due to the non-availability of Justice Shahid Waheed.

The staff further said that the government had sought time to review the act. Moreover, the budget was to be presented on June 9 which would also delay the review of the act.

Read more: SC clubs Punjab election case, pleas against judgement review law

Bill

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 returned the ‘judicial reforms’ bill for reconsideration to the Parliament as per the provisions of Article 75 of the Constitution.