Tag: Chief Justice

  • Ruling coalition demands full court bench in Punjab CM case

    Ruling coalition demands full court bench in Punjab CM case

    The ruling coalition has demanded that a full court bench should hear the petitions filed in reference to the election of the Punjab chief minister (CM) election.

    In a statement, the coalition parties said it will be fair that a full court bench comprising all the honourable judges of the Supreme Court should review the hear Supreme Court Bar Association’s (SCBA) review request, the present petition, and other related applications together, and schedule them for hearing together and issue a single ruling because these are matters of national, political and constitutional importance.

    Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the joint statement said that he wants to move Pakistan’s democracy and right to governance towards “default”, “just as he did with the economy”.

    “Imran Khan’s attitude and thoughts are like a ‘termite’ eating away at  Pakistan […] but the ruling coalition reiterates its commitment that there will be no compromise on the constitution, democracy, and people’s right to rule,” they said.

    They added that the coalition parties will move forward on every forum together and they will “fight against the darkness of fascism”.

    ‘Enough is enough. Don’t expect us to follow one-sided decisions, says Maryam Nawaz

    Reacting to the events of last night, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz said that she disapproved of how things were unfolding said that the party will not accept “one-sided” decisions by the Supreme Court of Pakistan,

    “Amid pressure due to bullying, threats, misbehaviour and abuses, if the house of justice makes specific decisions via the same bench and negates itself, negate its own decisions, puts its weight behind a single side then do not expect us to bow our heads before such one-sided decisions. Enough is Enough!” tweeted the PML-N leader.

    The PML-N leader said that the current political chaos and instability started with the Supreme Court’s court decision on Article 63A, adding that it made an “arbitrary interpretation” of the constitution to not count the MPAs that voted voluntarily. 

    “With utmost respect, I request that a full bench be constituted”: Atta Tarar

    PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar demanded that since this is a matter related to the interpretation of the Constitution, a full bench should hear the petition.

    The PML-N leader said that court hearings related to constitutional matters that have taken place recently — since the no-confidence motion against ex-prime minister Imran Khan — warrant a full bench.

    “Therefore, with the utmost respect, I request that a full bench be constituted to hear this case as well,” the PML-N leader said.

    ‘How long will State institutions continue to allow this? We are not far from Sri Lanka moment’: Imran Khan

    PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in a series of tweets, said that Pakistan was “not far” from defaulting and the state would soon depict a likeness to Sri Lanka, which has defaulted on its external debt.

    Khan said in just over three months — from the time he was ousted from power — the “Zardari-Sharifs mafia” has “brought the country to its knees”, politically and economically.

    Khan alleged they had done so “to simply save their illegally accumulated wealth amassed over 30 years of plundering Pakistan”.

  • 4th bench: Maryam Nawaz withdraws passport return plea

    4th bench: Maryam Nawaz withdraws passport return plea

    PML-N Vice President on Wednesday withdrew her petition filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) for the return of her passport so that she could travel abroad to perform Umrah.

    According to ARY News, the fourth bench – special division bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem had taken up the petition Wednesday morning.

    During the hearing, Counsel for Maryam Nawaz Advocate Amjad Pervez, told the LHC that the PML-N leader wished to withdraw her plea.

    Maryam’s withdrawal comes after four benches were formed to hear the petition due to judges recusing themselves one after the other.

    Last week, a bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Farooq Haider was hearing the petition when the former remarked that his colleague was not willing to hear the case due to unknown reasons.

    The matter was then sent to Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti to place it before another bench. Later, another bench was constituted under the stewardship of Justice Najafi and comprising Justice Asjad Javed Ghural as a member.

    Shortly after the proceedings started, Justice Najafi said that Justice Ghural was not willing to proceed ahead with the case. The matter was once again sent to the LHC chief justice with a request to constitute a new bench.

    Before that, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Shehbaz Rizvi had refused to hear the case on April 21.

    It is worth mentioning here that former premier Nawaz Sharif’s daughter had submitted her passport in the court after it approved her bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

  • LHC to Punjab governor: Either administer oath to Hamza or appoint anyone

    LHC to Punjab governor: Either administer oath to Hamza or appoint anyone

    Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti on Wednesday directed Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema to either administer oath to Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz or appoint anyone for it.

    According to ARY News, the chief justice while announcing a reserved verdict over delay in oath taking of the newly-elected chief minister directed the governor Punjab to hold oath-taking ceremony by tomorrow.

    The LHC CJ declared that the court’s order should immediately be conveyed to the governor and president, regretting that the province is being run without a chief executive for 25 days.

    The court further said in its order that currently Usman Buzdar is acting as chief minister and the governor as per the Constitution is bound to take oath from the newly elected chief minister.

    Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed President Arif Alvi to nominate another official to take oath from Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz after Governor Omar Sarfraz refused to administer oath to him.

    The court ruled that the governor could not refuse to administer oath to the chief minister-elect and the president should appoint another person to administer oath to Hamza Shehbaz.

    The court also directed to send a copy of the decision to the president for implementation on the orders within 24 hours.

    The PML-N had approached the LHC in a bid to have the governor of Punjab administer the chief minister’s oath to Hamza Shehbaz, the newly-elected chief executive of the province.

    Hamza Shehbaz stated that he had been elected as the Punjab chief minister on April 16, during a provincial assembly session held under the LHC’s direction and that he had secured 197 votes out of 371.

  • Hamza Shehbaz challenges transfer of Punjab IG, chief secretary in LHC

    Hamza Shehbaz challenges transfer of Punjab IG, chief secretary in LHC

    Leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly and PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz filed a petition in the Lahore Court High against the transfer of the Punjab Inspector General and chief secretary.

    Hamza Shehbaz moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the “unlawful” removal of Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan.

    LHC Chief Justice Amir Bhatti has taken up the petition and will hear it on April 11.

    In developments that happened late on Friday, the federal government decided to transfer the chief secretary and IGP after they allegedly refused to ‘sort out’ the PTI dissidents to stop them from voting for the opposition candidate in the Punjab Assembly (PA).

    The provincial assembly has to elect the new leader of the house after Usman Buzdar resigned last month. PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza, who has secured the support of PTI’s dissident lawmakers — the Jahangir Khan Tarin and Aleem Khan groups — are expected to go head to head in the race to become the next chief minister.

    In the petition Hamza named the Government of Punjab, chief secretary, and the IGP as respondents.

    It stated that Buzdar’s resignation was accepted on April 1 and, since then, the powers he assumed are that of the caretaker chief minister.

    “The postings and transfers of the officers such as Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police of the province can only be made in consultation with the provincial government.

    “It is also an admitted position that the provincial cabinet does not exist, therefore, essentially no provincial government exists. Hence such appointments/postings/transfers are without lawful authority,” Hamza argued.

    Axe falls on Punjab SC, IGP

    Sources told Dawn that both Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan were summoned by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Friday.

    The chief minister, flanked by PML-Q leaders, insisted that they should round up the PTI dissident MPAs and ensure that they should not vote for the opposition’s CM candidate.

    The chief secretary and the IGP are said to have refused to indulge in the illegal activity and the PML-Q leaders demanded that they both be replaced.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan had himself assured Parvez Elahi of all possible help needed ahead of his election as chief minister, during his one-on-one meeting a few days ago at the Governor House, Lahore.

    Sources said the chief minister had moved two summaries for the prime minister to replace the chief secretary and the IGP. For the chief secretary’s replacement, the chief minister had given the names of former principal secretary Tahir Khurshid, Yousaf Bashir Khokhar and Planning and Development Board chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal.

    Sumbal, however, immediately requested that his candidature might be withdrawn.

    Similarly, the chief minister moved a summary for the appointment of a new IGP while giving a panel – Lahore CCPO Fayyaz Dev, former IG Islamabad Amir Zulfiqar Khan and former Punjab IGP Inam Ghani.

  • SC orders action against officials who issued permits for Nasla Tower construction

    The Supreme Court (SC) has given orders to authorities to take strict action against those officials who issued construction permits to build the illegal 15-storeyed Nasla Tower on Monday.

    A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin ordered the anti-corruption department to register a case against those who are responsible for the issuance of construction permits. They also directed the police to file a separate case against them.

    The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) West has been given instructions to take immediate action against the officials who had approved the Nasla Tower building plan and present a report to the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme court also ordered to seize the 780 square yards of the land the tower was constructed upon and directed the official assignee of Sindh High Court (SHC) to take possession of the land and prohibit its sale.

    The Chief Justice also expressed his anger over the slow pace of the demolition procedure of the Nasla Tower. He asked Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon, “Such a building is torn down within one hour in the world. What are you people doing?”

    The Karachi Commissioner replied that five floors have been demolished so far and currently 400 labourers are working on the given task.

  • Islamabad High Court takes notice of the allegations against former CJP Saqib Nisar

    Islamabad High Court takes notice of the allegations against former CJP Saqib Nisar

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday took notice of the claims of former Chief Judge (CJ) of the apex court of Gilgit Baltistan Rana M Shamim, who in a signed affidavit wrote that he is a witness to the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar’s direction to a high court judge not to release Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections.

    Meanwhile, Saqib Nisar said he didn’t want to respond to the “white lies” of the ex-GB chief justice.

    “I have never spoken to anybody or any high court judge in connection to any matter related to Mian sahab,” he said, reports Dawn.

    Nisar said that Shamim had asked him for an extension but he didn’t accept his request, adding that the ex-GB CJ had also complained to him about the same.

    When asked why he had not issued a public statement on the matter, he replied: “Why should I? […] I don’t want to stoop to his level.”

    Reacting to the story, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Jokes in the name of news are being circulated in the country to prove that Nawaz Sharif is a victim.”

    PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted, “This affidavit of the former Chief Justice of Gilgit-Baltistan is a testimony against this heinous crime.”

    On the other hand, IHC has issued a contempt notice to Jang/ Geo CEO Mir Shakil and senior journalist Ansar Abbasi, for publishing the news report against the former Chief Justice of Pakistan.