18th amendment: SC reserves judgment

Pakistan

18th amendment: SC reserves judgment

Close

30 September,2010 02:35 pm

A 17-member larger bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, on Thursday reserved the verdict in 18th amendment case concluding the hearing, Dunya News reported. The court has not announced any date to issue the verdict as yet. Earlier, the judges said in their remarks that it is up to the Parliament to amend the Constitution or set any amendment right. During the hearing, Rashid A Rizvi, counsel of Sindh High Court (SHC) continued with his arguments stating that the judiciary in Britain had no power regarding judicial review prior to 1998; accordingly, the Parliament of the country was said to be supreme. He further said Attorney General and the Law Minister have been expelled from committee and commission meant for appointments of the judges. Reacting to this, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said this is the procedure not to save the amendment but to butcher it.Justice Jawwad S Khawja stressed the court cannot say who to be expelled and who else to be included, as this is the job of the Parliament to re-engineer the issue.He further remarked the court could not barge into the limits of the Parliament, as the parliament is there to set right the Constitutional amendment.Justice Saqib Nisar observed it is the national Constitution that empowers the Parliament to effect Constitutional amendment.Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said the commission for the appointment of judges was made in Britain in isolation from the Executive; but, in Pakistan, the same commission is being instituted at the heart of Executive.Rashid Rizvi completed his arguments before the interval and Abdul Hafeez Pirzada began with arguments later on after the interval.Lastly, after conclusion of arguments from counsels and prosecutors, the court has reserved verdict, saying that a detailed judgment will be pronounced instead of short one.