Bill curtailing CJP powers challenged in LHC

Bill curtailing CJP powers challenged in LHC

Pakistan

Petitioner has pleaded the court to declare the bill null and void

LAHORE (Dunya News) – A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court, challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 that proposes reduce in powers of the chief justice of Pakistan.

A citizen named Mashkoor Hussain through his lawyer Nadeem Sarwar Advocate filed the petition wherein the federal government, President Arif Alvi through his principal secretary and others have been made respondents.

The petitioner argued that bill had become an act after getting approval from both houses of the parliament, adding that the legislation provided a right to appeal against decisions in suo motu cases.

He contended that the right to appeal in the suo motu cases was violation of the Article 184 and 185 of the Constitution, adding that it could only provided by amending these articles.

The petitioner pleaded the LHC to declare the Section 4 of the judicial reforms bill null and void, besides stopping implementation on it.

A day earlier, petitions were filed in the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday against the recently passed bill.

Earlier, a joint session of the parliament on Monday once again passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 amid the opposition’s uproar.

The bill has now been sent to President Dr Arif Alvi again for assent as he had, earlier, returned the bill unsigned to the parliament for reconsideration.