Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Monday resumed hearing of the Presidential Reference, seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the constitution.
Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan continueed his arguments in the case.
On Friday, the bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel heard the reference along with a plea filed by the SCBA against public gatherings of the Opposition and the government in the federal capital — ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Earlier, the SC observed that the lawmakers are bound to follow the policy of the political party they are affiliated with, adding that the real question was how long a dissident MNA could be disqualified for.
CJP Umar Ata Bandial said it is insulting for lawmakers if they are not allowed to cast their vote as the process regarding Article 63-A is very clear, adding that Article 63(A) is a “discipline of the emerging political system.”
The CJP also observed that not counting a vote that has been cast during the no-trust proceedings against the prime minister would be “contemptuous”, adding that the real question was how long a dissident MNA could be disqualified for.