Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah & Justice Athar Minallah raise questions on the dissolution of KP, Punjab assemblies
ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (SABAH): Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday raised questions on the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
The observation from the judges came during the hearing of the suo moto notice on the election date for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had taken suo motu notice day earlier and formed a nine-member bench to hear the case. The bench held its first hearing on Thursday.
The 9-member bench is headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Khan Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah.
At the outset, CJP Bandial said the bench would hear three related cases and determine who was supposed to give the elections’ dates. He said it was an important case and should be dealt with in line with the Constitution. The apex court, he said, would not tolerate violation of the constitution. He said the schedule of next week had been put off to give due weightage to this case. He said the judges would listen to the viewpoint of all concerned and salient features would be discussed on Friday.
He said multiple factors led the apex court to take the suo motu notice, adding that the 90-day period for conducting provincial elections was running out. He said the matter was also pending with the Lahore High Court, adding that the high court could be bypassed in case of emergency. The CJP remarked, “We want implementation of the Constitution dictates”.
During the hearing, Justice Athar Minallah remarked that it is to be seen whether provincial assemblies were dissolved as per the Constitution or not.
While Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah wondered whether the assemblies can be dissolved on someone’s dictation. “How can the assemblies be dissolved at the directive of an individual if the representatives are elected for five years,” he noted.
The judge said that the court will also see if the assemblies’ dissolution is constitutionally wrong and if the matter can be resolved through their restoration.
Earlier at the outset of the hearing, the court observed that the authority for giving the date of the elections after the dissolution of the assembly needs clarification.
It stated that the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies were dissolved on January 14 and 17, respectively, and the elections have to be held in 90 days after the assembly dissolution as per Article 224/2 which provides a timeframe.
The SC remarked that Punjab Governor Engineer Mian Muhammad Balighur Rehman says that he has not dissolved the provincial assembly on the chief minister’s advice.
“It will be determined through the suo motu case who has the authority to give the election date,” the court remarked.
It said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had also complained about not getting funds and security for holding the polls.
“Supreme Court won’t tolerate the violation of Constitution,” CJP Bandial remarked, adding that he was issuing a notice to the attorney general for Pakistan. He said that the apex court wants to ensure that elections are held as per the Constitution.
The CJP observed that the court had to hear three matters: the timeframe of 90 days for elections under Article 224, president’s authority to announce date of polls, and who had the authority to announce the date.
He said that the apex court had the February 10 order of a high court and several other factors in front of it.
At this, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar interjected by saying that they wanted to bring some matters regarding the president on record.
“Violation of Constitution won’t be tolerated under any circumstances,” CJP Bandial remarked, adding that the proceedings will not be prolonged due to lack of time.
The chief justice then directed the parties to prepare their arguments for the next hearing. He said that the court intended to hear all the parties.
Meanwhile, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said that he had some reservations regarding the suo motu notice in this case.
“We have the petitions of the speakers of two assemblies. This suo motu notice was taken on the note of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi,” the judge said, adding that the chief election commissioner was summoned in the case of Lahore police chief Ghulam Muhammad Dogar, who wasn’t a party in the case.
At this, CJP Bandial said that some questions have been included by the speakers of both assemblies in their petitions.
“Supreme Court just has to look into the Constitutional point and ensure implementation on it,” he said.
During the hearing, the Attorney General for Pakistan Shehzad Ata Elahi requested the court to give time for the preparation.
At that point, CJP Bandial said that the court will stick to a few important matters during tomorrow’s hearing and hold a detailed hearing in the next week.
Justice Athar Minallah remarked that a suo motu notice should be taken on the dissolution of provincial assemblies as well.
“The Constitution defines a timeframe related to the election. It was much easier for us to fix the two petitions filed for the election but now the president has given the date,” CJP Bandial remarked.
As the proceeding moved forward, the CJP remarked that the court will see if the political parties need to be called.
At this, Islamabad High Court Bar President Shoaib Shaheen maintained that involving political parties would prolong the matter.
“It would be beneficial for all if the decision on the suo motu notice orders holding of the elections,” he said
Shaheen added that it was a time-bound case where the issue was to conduct the elections.
During the hearing, Justice Mandokhel also mentioned “audios” in which Supreme Court Bar Association President Abid Shahid Zuberi was talking about the judges.
“It doesn’t qualify to be a suo motu case in these circumstances,” he said.
At this, Justice Minallah said that the court was discussing the Constitutional clause in this case.
The first question would be whether the assembly was dissolved as per the Constitution and the second, whether the assembly had to be viewed under Article 184(3).
Justice Muneeb Akhtar said he believed all political parties should be heard as they constitute a government in a democracy.
The attorney general supported Justice Akhtar’s suggestion.
Meanwhile, Advocate Azhar Siddique requested the court to seek the record of the high court. The president has issued the date for the elections, he said.
At this, CJP Bandial said that the court would only issue the notices today.
“The president fixed April 9 as the date of elections. Punjab governor also raised objection on the announcement of the date,” he added.
The CJP then said the court was issuing notices to the AGP and advocate general of all four provinces for February 27, directing them to assist the court in the case.
The court also issued notice to President Dr. Arif Alvi, the federal government, parties including in PDM coalition government, ECP, Punjab and KP governments, governors, chief secretaries, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Council and the Islamabad Bar Council and instructed them to appear in SC today (Friday) at 11:00 AM.
The court remarked that President Alvi and the governors of Punjab and KP will also be heard as they have the exemption under Article 248 but their views are crucial on this matter.
Meanwhile Ahead of the hearing, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) said that CJP Bandial should not exclude Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood from the bench constituted to hear the case to “make its (bench’s) image impartial and neutral”.
In a press release issued by PBC Executive Council Chairman Hassan Raza Pasha and Vice-Chairman Haroonur Rashid, the PBC said their inclusion was necessary so that the “public and lawyers community may not question upon the bench for hearing of [the] important matter in respect of the determination of constitutional responsibility and authority”.
The PBC also called upon Justice Naqvi to “voluntarily recuse” himself from the bench, “which the propriety demands from him”. Justice Naqvi is one of the two judges that Interior Minister Rana Sanauallah said PML-N would move to be recused from hearing cases pertaining to the PML-N leadership.