A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Munib Akhtar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Shahid Waheed had suspended the federal government's notification of the commission's formation the day before.
"In the circumstances, till the next date of hearing, the operation of the impugned notification No.SRO.596(I)/2023 dated May 19, 2023, issued by the Federal Government is suspended, as is the order dated May 22, 2023, made by the Commission, and in consequence thereof, proceedings of the Commission have stayed," it stated.
In response to the larger bench judgment, Maryam said the chief justice's decision to prevent the commission from carrying out its duties is "proof and admission of his guilt."
"The individual occupying the highest position of justice is abusing his authority to escape responsibility. Shouldn't you (CJP Bandial) and your mother-in-law go face the law if you're both clean? Or the law does not apply to you since you are the chief justice?" Maryam stated.
https://twitter.com/MaryamNSharif/status/1662412361473376256?s=20
"The chief justice deserved to be punished for making a mockery of the law and judiciary to save his family," she added.
Her statement comes at a time when the Supreme Court and the governing Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are at odds over a number of topics, including the federal government's reluctance to hold Punjab elections on May 14 despite the top court's judgment.
The ruling coalition also requested CJP Bandial's resignation and accused him of providing "undue facilitation" to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan.
The federal government established a three-member judicial commission with Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a senior judge on the Supreme Court, and Chief Justices Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court and Naeem Akhtar Afghan of the Balochistan High Court to investigate the veracity of recent audio leaks and their effects on the independence of the judiciary.
Earlier today, Justice Isa resumed the audio leak commission's procedures and questioned the Supreme Court's injunction prohibiting the judicial commission from carrying out its duties.