A group of lawyers protested against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa outside the Supreme Court, while a five-judge bench addressing a review petition against the court’s judgment on Article 63A dismissed objections raised by PTI lawyer Ali Zafar regarding the bench composition.
CJP Isa instructed the federal government to arrange a meeting between imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan and Ali Zafar after the lawyer expressed the need to consult his client for guidance on developing his arguments.
During the proceedings, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail questioned whether a judge would violate his oath by refusing to sit on a bench reviewing a judgment they had authored. He jokingly suggested holding a ‘jirga’ to persuade a judge who declined to join the bench, seemingly referring to Justice Munib Akhtar, who refused to participate. It’s worth noting that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah also declined the CJP’s request to join the bench, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan was enlisted instead.
The bench also reprimanded a lawyer who called the present bench ‘unconstitutional’ in a disrespectful manner. The lawyer was asked to take his seat by CJP Isa, but he persisted, prompting the CJP to consider having him removed by the police.
Amidst the verbal exchange, CJP Isa expressed regret over the lawyer’s behavior and emphasized that insults would not be tolerated. Justice Mandokhail remarked that the incident had diminished any sympathy they had for the party, accusing them of intending to destroy institutions in the country.
As the arguments continued, Ali Zafar objected to the bench composition, citing the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act. However, the bench unanimously ruled that the objections on the bench formation were not sustainable.
Ali Zafar then requested to consult with Imran Khan before presenting his arguments, and the proposed federal constitutional court was briefly discussed, but CJP Isa redirected the focus of the hearing.
