Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has decided to hear more arguments before taking a decision on the government’s plea for the formation of a full court bench on petitions related to the Punjab chief minister’s election held on Friday.
After the hearing of a petition filed by PTI candidate and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari’s ruling in the election, which led to PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz’s victory, when the court took a break and subsequently resumed, it was expected that a decision on the plea for full bench would be announced.
However, the chief justice said: “We have to see the Constitution [further].”
“Article 63-A has a long journey,” he added.
“This is the matter of an entire province. I am not saying that the [bench’s] neutrality is in question. If a full court is constituted, the respect and confidence in court would increase,” Mazari’s lawyer Irfan Qadir said.
“There is an impression that [certain] cases go to the same bench,” he added.
The CJP said that “a full court bench is constituted in serious matters”.
Meanwhile, the court accepted the petition filed by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the PPP to become a party in the case.
Last week, the apex court had allowed Hamza to retain his position as a "trustee" chief minister till today (Monday), adding that he would have limited powers throughout this period.
After the hearing of a petition filed by PTI candidate and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari’s ruling in the election, which led to PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz’s victory, when the court took a break and subsequently resumed, it was expected that a decision on the plea for full bench would be announced.
However, the chief justice said: “We have to see the Constitution [further].”
“Article 63-A has a long journey,” he added.
“This is the matter of an entire province. I am not saying that the [bench’s] neutrality is in question. If a full court is constituted, the respect and confidence in court would increase,” Mazari’s lawyer Irfan Qadir said.
“There is an impression that [certain] cases go to the same bench,” he added.
The CJP said that “a full court bench is constituted in serious matters”.
Meanwhile, the court accepted the petition filed by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the PPP to become a party in the case.
Last week, the apex court had allowed Hamza to retain his position as a "trustee" chief minister till today (Monday), adding that he would have limited powers throughout this period.