Pakistan

PM Nawaz: Larger SC bench sought for disqualification case

Petitioner says the case involves ‘important questions’

Our Correspondent October 01, 2014

ISLAMABAD: An application has been moved before the Supreme Court, requesting it to constitute a larger bench to hear Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification case.

The apex court’s three-judge bench – headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja – is hearing petitions, filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ishaq Khan Khakwani and a lawyer Gohar Nawaz Sindhu seeking disqualification of the premier.

The petitioners contend that the prime minister had recently given a ‘false statement’ in the National Assembly regarding involvement of the army chief in negotiating with parties – the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) – staging sit-ins in Islamabad and therefore he should be disqualified under Article 62 (f) of the Constitution.

One of the applicants, Advocate Sindhu, moved on Tuesday another application requesting the apex court to constitute a larger bench as ‘important questions are involved in the matter’. Citing reasons for formation of a larger bench, he said the case involved interpretation of Articles 62, 63, 66, 69, 227 and 248.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Sindhu said he had submitted in the plea that in the present situation, people were looking towards the apex court. “My plea will be forwarded to the chief justice and I will be intimated about the CJ’s decision over my application on Wednesday (today),” he said.

During the hearing on Monday, the SC’s senior most judge Justice Jawwad S Khawaja had observed that it was the authority of the chief justice to form a larger bench and therefore the petitioners might file an application to the CJ.

The bench had also hinted at examining the constitutional provisions that barred the court from questioning proceedings of parliament.

One of the members of the bench, Justice Mushir Alam, had asked counsels for the applicants to come prepared after going through Article 68, 69 and 95 of the Constitution along with their implications at the next date of the hearing, ie, October 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2014.