ISLAMABAD: Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to dissolve larger bench hearing pleas, seeking cancellation of ‘Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023’.

In press conference, he said that two senior judges had not been included in bench. “There is lack of representation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan among judges on bench,” he added.

He was of view that conflict of interest existed as the case involved question of Chief Justice using his own powers in taking suo motu notices and constituting benches. He claimed that all rules of apex court prohibited Chief Justice from leading bench. All provincial bar councils had unanimously expressed their disagreement with current bench, he added.

He said that Pakistan Bar Council, Sindh Bar Council, Balochistan Bar Council, Punjab Bar Council, Islamabad Capital Territory Bar Council and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council boycotted eight-member bench constituted to hear pleas against bill which was yet to be enacted.

He said that Parliament had authority to legislate for betterment of people and this right could not be taken away by preventing Parliament from legislating.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 14 2023

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