Supreme court reserves 18th amendment case verdict

The Supreme Court had resumed the hearing of a number of identical petitions challenging certain provisions of the 18th Amendment.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict for the 18^th amendment case, with the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry saying that the ruling would be announced at an appropriate time.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had resumed the hearing of a number of identical petitions challenging certain provisions of the 18th Amendment.

During the course of the hearing, Justice Jawad Khwaja said Parliament has the authority to make amendments but it cannot supercede the parameters of the Constitution.

Justice Saqib Nisar observed that the Constitution in its written form is supreme.

The full court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is reviewing various clauses, particularly the formation of Judicial Commission. The chief justice had previously said that if the judicial commission’s role is nomination of a judge for the appointment in a superior court, then there is no use of it. “Nomination can be accepted or rejected,” he had said.