News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Five judges of the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday resumed hearing in the suo moto proceedings regarding the delay in elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) provinces after four judges disassociated themselves from the bench.
The former nine-member larger bench of SC, has been reconstituted to a five-member bench after four judges — Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Athar Minallah — disassociated themselves.
https://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/latest-judgements/
At the previous hearing, three parties from the ruling coalition — Pakistan Muslim league Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) — filed a civil miscellaneous application with the apex court, seeking the constitution of full court sans two judges; Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi.
Senior counsel Farooq H. Naek, Mansoor Usman Awan and Kamran Murtaza in a joint petition – filed on behalf of PPP, PML-N and JUI-F – said the request has been made “in the best interest of justice and to strengthen the confidence of the people in the Supreme Court”.
Supreme Court’s suo moto
CJP Bandial took the suo moto notice on Wednesday last week after President Dr. Arif Alvi unilaterally announced April 9 as the date of elections in Punjab and KP after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) turned down his invitation for consultations on the matter.
