Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday resumed its hearing on the suo motu notice regarding the delay in election dates in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP).assemblies.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail is hearing the case.
On Monday, the bench was reconstituted after Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Yahya Afridi recused themselves from hearing the case.
Later the day, a five-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail resumed the hearing.
A written order was issued on the SC’s website in which dissenting notes of Justice Afridi, Justice Minallah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had been included.
As the proceedings commenced, CJ Bandial said that the court "wishes to run things as per the constitution".
“The court will continue to hear the case for the sake of interpretation of the constitution”, the CJP said adding that the bench was keen to complete proceedings as early as possible.
The court then directed Barrister Ali Zafar, the counsel for the speakers of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, to argue whether the court should hear the case or not.
“Can the court hear this case or not? In any situation, the case has to be completed tomorrow,” said the CJP.