‘History would not forgive us’: Pak PM Sharif urges parliament to curtail powers of Chief Justice

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stated that “history would not forgive us” if parliament didn’t enact legal guidelines to curtail the powers of the chief justice.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. (File picture)

By Press Trust of India: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stated that “history would not forgive us” if parliament didn’t enact legal guidelines to curtail the powers of the chief justice, a day after two Supreme Court judges questioned the suo motu powers of the nation’s high decide.

Addressing the joint session of parliament, Sharif talked at size concerning the dissenting judgement by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the Supreme Court, who lashed out on the limitless authority of the Chief Justice to take a suo motu (by itself) motion on any challenge and represent benches of alternative to listen to totally different circumstances.

Their judgment was concerning the case of suo motu discover taken by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on February 22 about elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Speaking passionately concerning the want for brand new legal guidelines to restrict the chief justice’s energy, Sharif stated that if the laws weren’t handed, “history would not forgive us”.

The suo motu energy is predicated on the unique jurisdiction of the court docket underneath Article 184 of the Constitution. However, its utilization over time has created an impression of partiality on the Chief Justices’ half.

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It was overtly challenged for the primary time by the 2 judges who had been a part of a bench that, in its 3-2 majority determination of March 1, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to seek the advice of with President Arif Alvi for polls in Punjab and Governor Ghulam Ali for elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five-member bench was reconstituted by Bandial, who took a suo motu motion in opposition to the delay in elections and initially shaped a nine-member bench to take care of the problem. However, two of the 9 judges differed with the choice to take suo motu discover, whereas two different judges recused themselves, prompting the Chief Justice to kind a brand new bench.

Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail, of their detailed 28-page dissenting word, additionally rejected the 3-2 judgment within the suo motu case by saying that it was a 4-3 judgment to reject the maintainability of the case and lambasted the Chief Justice’s energy to kind a bench for vital circumstances.

The coalition authorities led by Prime Minister Sharif, which is supporting the ECP’s determination to delay the election within the two provinces till October 8, is making an attempt to make use of the parliament to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice.

The premier additionally stated that the courts had been treating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan favourably and weren’t prepared to carry Khan accountable.

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Sharif stated that “enough is enough” and the legislation would take its course whereas the federal government wouldn’t permit “the favourite” to play with Pakistan.

He added that the Constitution clearly outlined the division of powers between the legislature, judiciary and administration and set a crimson line that nobody ought to cross.

The powers of the legislature outlined by the Constitution and the powers of the judiciary had been being flouted, the prime minister stated.

The joint session of parliament was summoned final week to debate the important thing points confronting Pakistan and supply tips to take care of these points.

The improvement comes as the highest court docket is listening to a case concerning the determination of the Election Commission of Pakistan to postpone the provincial election until October 8, effectively past the 90 days deadline by the structure to carry elections after the dissolution of an meeting.

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Published On:

Mar 29, 2023