ISLAMABAD, Jun 13 (NNI): The Supreme Court has rejected the request seeking stay order on the operation of the SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023.
A three-judge special bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar on Tuesday heard the ECP petition requesting the top court to revisit its April 4 order of holding polls to the Punjab Assembly on May 14 and another petition related to the recently-enacted Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023.
During its previous hearing, the court clubbed together pleas against the SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023 and the ECP review plea on Punjab poll case. The court had issued notices to all parties including Pakistan Bar Council and Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan.
The federal government had requested the court to form a larger bench to hear the case.
At the outset of the hearing on Tuesday, Election Commission of Pakistan’s lawyer told the court that as per the new law, a three-judge bench could not hear the review petition.
The Supreme Court special bench accepted the ECP lawyer’s plea.
Chief Justice Bandial remarked that the court would proceed the ECP’s review case after taking into account all facts about the SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act.
How we can give stay order on mere assumptions without listening to the case, the top judge added. NNI
