Nomination papers: CJP hints at forming larger bench

Remarks came during the hearing of the case on the implementation of the 2010 judgment in the Workers Party case

ISLAMABAD: A larger bench may be set up for examining revising the case of nomination papers, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Mian Saqib Nisar hinted on Thursday.

The chief justice made these remarks during the hearing of the case on the implementation of the 2010 judgment in the Workers Party case.

The larger bench, he said, could be constituted to hear the appeals against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict that rejected nomination papers “for violating Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution”.

On Sunday, the Supreme Court suspended LHC’s decision in this regard. The court will resume the hearing of the case on Wednesday.

The three-judge bench, headed by the chief justice himself, noted that LHC’s verdict had been suspended keeping in view parliament’s ascendancy.

Reiterating the assertion that general election would be held on time, the chief justice said: “The Parliament is the representative of people and authorized to formulate laws.”

During the hearing, a Dr Zubair appeared before the bench and requested for revising old nomination papers as voters’ right was being violated because of new nomination papers, adding that voters should be informed about details of a candidate’s assets.

However, the bench told him that parliament had the supremacy in making laws and asked him how his right was being infringed.

Meanwhile, the bench sought a reply from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the new code of conduct for elections.