ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Friday raised concerns that different Supreme Court judges were being criticised by different people as the apex court adjourned the hearing till 11:30 a.m. Monday (April 3) on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to delay polls in Punjab.
During the hearing today, the CJP said that he was looking into the matter of criticism of judges.
The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan told the court that Pakistan was running a deficit of Rs1,500 billion.
The CJP said that the date for the election suggested by the president was already beyond the 90-day time period. He said the president was not briefed on the situation by the ECP.
“Had they done it, the president would have given the date for April 30,” he said, pointing out that the matter in front of the court was of October 8.
The CJP said court is not sitting here to increase problems. Either give us concrete reasons or commence a dialogue, adding that one respondent [the PTI] is already giving the guarantee of its chairman and the government too will have to move on.
The CJP further said that the assemblies would complete their tenure in August.
“We can take a break for a few days if the government and opposition want to hold negotiations. If the negotiations don’t work out, we fulfil our constitutional role.”
SC bench reduced to three members
The orginal five-member larger bench, headed by CJP Bandial and comprising of Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, has now been reduced to a three-member bench after two judges – Justice Khan and Justice Mandokhail – recused withdrew themselves.
