Islamabad (Web Desk): The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday clubbed together plea filed against Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023 with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petition requesting the top court to revisit its April 4 order of holding elections in Punjab Assembly on May 14.
The three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the case.
In the previous hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan had informed the top court that fresh legislation, which expanded the jurisdiction of the court by giving a right to appeal under Article 184(3), had come into force.
The brief hearing came to an end after the AGP had informed the bench that the review order had come into effect.
As per the Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023, the scope of a review will be similar to Article 185, which confers appellate jurisdiction to the top court.
During today’s hearing, CJP Bandial remarked that a number of pleas against the new law had been filed with the top court and decided to hear them alongside the ECP’s review petition.
The CJP also issued notices to the federal government, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan, the president through the principal secretary, Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs and Secretariat Senate.
Later the court adjourned the hearing till June 13.
It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) through its lawyer Ali Zafar, had challenged the law as being "contrary to the constitution".
