CB directs JI to approach NAB

Justice Mandokhel questions legality of JIT formation on Panama leaks

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court's constitutional bench has directed the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to move the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the investigation of the Panama scandal.

A five-member constitutional bench heard multiple cases on Tuesday. During a hearing of JI's plea for a probe against all those whose names have appeared in the Panama scandal, Justice Jamal Mandokhel asked under what law the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had been formed, and whether there was room for a JIT under the NAB law.

The JI counsel replied that the JIT had been formed by the Supreme Court in the Panama scandal. Justice Mandokhel then directed the counsel to move the high court if the grievances are not addressed by NAB.

Hearing a request for the restoration of student unions, the SC's constitutional bench issued notices to the attorney general as well as the provincial and Islamabad advocates general. The bench also rejected the Registrar Office's objections to the plea and ordered that the case be listed for hearing.

When the houbara bustard case was taken up for hearing by the bench, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel recused himself from it on the grounds that he had already heard a case against the hunting of the houbara bustard at the Balochistan High Court.

The additional attorney general said that the hunting of the houbara bustard was similar to the hunting of the markhor in that the hunting of the latter was considered 'trophy hunting'. Justice Mandokhel, however, remarked that there was a difference between houbara bustard hunting and Ibex trophy hunting.

The bench adjourned the hearing until next week of former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Khalid Khursheed's plea against appointments in the higher judiciary after lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan said he would be unable to reach Islamabad due to the tense situation there. He termed the matter of appointments in the Gilgit-Baltistan judiciary as very important and said it would be difficult for him to argue the case via video link and, for that reason, had requested the court to adjourn the hearing until next week.