SC Practice and Procedure Ordinance: LHC announces reserved verdict
Pakistan
Ordinance has already been challenged in SC and SHC
LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Lahore High Court (LHC) has announced the reserved decision over the admissibility of petition challenging the Supreme Court's Practice and Procedure Ordinance.
LHC Chief Justice Miss Aalia Neelum pronounced the decision and sought further proofs from the petitioner.
The notices have also been issued to the Advocate General Punjab and the Attorney General for assistance on the case.
The next hearing would on this application would be held on October 2.
During the hearing, the CJ asked the lawyer of the petitioner, Munir Ahmed, to explain why the ordinance is illegal.
Responding, the lawyer replied that there was no emergency situation due to which the ordinance was issued as the assembly was also in work at the time.
Earlier, the LHC reserved the verdict to decide admissibility of an application against Practice and Procedure Ordinance.
Justice Neelum heard the case against Practice and Procedure Ordinance 2024.
It merits mention that the tederal government lawyer raised objections to the application against the Practice and Procedure Ordinance, during the hearing.
He informed the court that the Practice and Procedure Ordinance had already been challenged in the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court (SHC).
The SHC had reserved the verdict on the application against the ordinance, he added.
Federal government’s lawyer requested the LHC to reject this application against the ordinance.
Consequently, the LHC had reserved judgment on the application to decide its admissibility.
WHAT'S THE ORDINANCE?
President Asif Zardart signed the Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance, and the ordinance had been issued.
Under the amendment to the Act, the chief justice of Pakistan can nominate a judge in case of unavailability of a committee member.
The Act provided that the chief justice of Pakistan will constitute a three-member committee “comprising the Chief Justice of Pakistan and two next most senior Judges, in order of seniority” to hear “every cause, appeal or matter before the Supreme Court.”
Under the ordinance, transcripts and recordings of judicial proceedings will be available to the public.
PTI MOVES COURTS
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Azhar Siddique on Saturday challenged it in the Lahore High Court (LHC).
The federal government and others have been made respondents in the petition.
It has been argued in the petition that the presidential ordinance was based on mala fide intention. It said that the apex court had given its verdict on the Practice and Procedure Act, adding that powers of the SC couldn’t be changed through the ordinance.
The applicant pleaded that the court should nullify the ordinance and stop any action taken under the act until final verdict by the court.
Sindh PTI President Haleem Adil Sheikh filed a constitutional petition in the SHC contending that the ordinance was a “clear violation of the judgment of the Supreme Court.”
