In a significant development, a full court bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa reconvened on Monday to resume hearings on petitions challenging the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act. These crucial proceedings are being broadcast live on national television, shedding light on the controversy surrounding the legislation.
At the start of today’s hearing, Abid Zuberi, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, voiced his concerns. He emphasized that Parliament lacked the authority to modify or establish rules pertaining to the practice and procedure act. Zuberi regarded this as a misuse of power, stressing that, according to the constitution, only the apex court had the prerogative to legislate regarding the judiciary.
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Chief Justice Isa posed a thought-provoking question to SCBA President Zuberi, asking whether removing the words ‘subject to law’ from the constitution would have any significant impact. Zuberi responded in the negative.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan weighed in, asserting that the country’s highest court was exclusively authorized to establish rules concerning itself, as mandated by the constitution.
This ongoing legal saga has sparked reflections on the past, as in the previous session, the Supreme Court bench questioned why there was widespread compliance during martial law periods but an upsurge of resistance when Parliament enacted laws that were subsequently challenged in the courts. These proceedings continue to captivate the nation’s attention as they unfold.
