ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has observed that parliament’s SC (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 was not an attempt to chop the top judge’s rights by devolving the suo motu powers to a three-member committee.
The Chief Justice passed the remarks during a full court hearing on the petitions challenging the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.
The day-long historic hearing has been adjourned till October 3.
The hearing was seen as historic because, for the first time in the country’s judicial history, the Supreme Court allowed live telecast of proceedings on the petitions challenging the contentious law seeking to regulate suo motu powers of the country’s top judge.
During the hearing, CJP Isa said arguments in the case will begin afresh because the new bench has been formed.
There were three applications to make a full court, which had been approved, CJP Isa observed.
Ahead of the hearing today, the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan submitted the federal government’s response in the matter, requesting the court to reject the petitions against the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act.
“Petitions against acts of parliament are inadmissible. [Therefore,] the petitions against the Practice and Procedure Act should be dismissed,” the response submitted by the government contended.
