ISLAMABAD: Sept 18 : A full court of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Monday gave a day long hearing into the Practice and Procedure Act 1023 and listened argument of senior lawyer Tariq Rahim who is a petitioner in the case. He will continue his arguments when the full court reassemble again on next hearing on October 3.
Earlier, Chief justice of Pakistan, Faez Isa, set a new tradition by refusing to take guard of honour at arrival on his first day at the apex court. In the past there was a tradition that the new chief justice would get guard of honour on first day at arrival at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Faez Isa accepted bouquet of flowers from his staff at SCP and asked them to treat the complainants as guests.
Faez Isa also set a new tradition by allowing live coverage of important case of Practice and Procedure Act 2023 which restricts powers of the chief justice of Pakistan. According to the Practice and Procedure act 2023.
He also distanced himself from Bandial ‘s legacy by constituting a full court to hear the important case of Practice and Procedure Act 2023 . Headed by CJP Isa, the bench consists of Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed and Justice Musarrat Hilali.
Former chief justice of Pakistan , Umar Atta Bandial , had denied to form a full court in number of cases . He would form a special panel including three judges which were considered close to him . Bandial’s rigidity cost apex court its credibility . In the end Bandial himself paid the price for bringing bad name to the apex court when he was not presented full court reference on his retirement. A number of senior judges of the apex court too did not like Bandial’s legacy of promoting those three or four judges by including them in all the benches to hear important cases and exclude others from the panels. Bandial’s pick and choose formula discredited Pakistan’s top judiciary.
Faez Isa is conscious of damage done by his predecessor and acts swiftly to move away from his legacy. His decision to open up the trail at the apex court to media for live courage is a very important development. Live coverage of SCP hearings will add to the respect of SC. It will also add sense among the public at large as to how apex court of Pakistan functions. Chief justice Faez Isa’s decision not to take guard of honour on arrival to office on the first day is also an encouraging development. His action should set up a healthy precedent to end a culture of protocols and VVIPs from Pakistan. Pakistan is in dire financial constraints and its people hate those who are enjoying lavish facilities like VVIP protocols and free power facilities.
