ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) a conglomerate of political parties have rejected the move to hear the petitions against the Supreme Court of Pakistan bill.
A joint statement was issued on Thursday morning, following a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, hours after Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial formed an eight-member larger bench to hear the petitions against the bill.
Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan and others attended the meeting.
The meeting decided to fully defend the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, and rejected the move to conduct proceedings on the bill by a controversial bench before its implementation.
Such a move has never been seen before in the history of Pakistan and the judiciary, the coalition parties’ declaration stated. This is tantamount to jeopardizing the credibility of the highest court and rendering the process of justice meaningless, the statement added.
The bench is proof of the divisions within the Supreme Court, which validates the government’s position again, the statement said.
It further said the honorable judges have themselves objected to the ‘one-man show’, the biased and dictatorial behavior and formation of special benches.
The formation of the controversial eight-member bench is further proof of the facts stated in these judgments.
The statement also regretted exclusion of judges from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the bench. The move to hear the petitions is an attack on parliament and its authority, and should be strongly resisted, t added.
The intention is clear by creating a controversial bench in haste and fixing the particular petitions before it. Expressing the verdict in advance is regrettable and akin to murder of justice, the statement added.
The statement of the Pakistan Bar Council is also a clear proof that this move is against justice and fairness, the joint statement said, adding the move is clearly contrary to the prevailing judicial system and established principles.
The Supreme Court bill was approved by parliament on the demands of the lawyers’ community, the statement said.
As per the Constitution, there can be no compromise on the parliament’s authority. Taking away the authority of parliament and interfering in its scope will be strongly resisted, the statement stressed.
Sources privy to the meeting said on Wednesday that the prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the different aspects of the case, and detailed consultation was held on the notices issued by the apex court and the future strategy of the court proceedings.
Sources further said that the premier was informed about the court proceedings related to the bill in the meeting.
A meeting of the legal team also decided that the proceedings of the parliament session will also be placed before the court.
Following the deliberations, the federal government decided to strongly defend the bill.
Larger bench to hear pleas today
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial formed an eight-member larger bench to hear the petitions against Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill, at 11:30am today.
The bench headed by CJP Bandial comprises Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazahar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed.
The bill has also been challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by lawyer Saeed Aftab in a separate plea, as well as Lahore High Court.
Read more: Pleas against SC bill: Court issues notices to govt, political parties, PBC
