*ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Monday clarified about thesupreme court’s suo moto notice of the deputy speaker’s ruling.*
During hearing of the Presidential reference seeking interpretation ofArticle 63-A, the CJP said that the apex court does not take suo motonotice on whims.
The Supreme Court took the last suo moto notice after consultations between12 judges of the top court and they were all unanimous that it is aconstitutional matter and were opined that the Supreme Court should takesuo moto notice of the matter, the CJP said.
The CJP was alluding to the ruling by deputy speaker Qasim Suri who hadrejected the no-confidence motion against then prime minister Imran Khanciting a violation of Article 5.
PML-N lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan sought a delay in the hearing as he wouldreturn to Pakistan on May 15, his junior lawyer told the court. The courtasked him to return early as the case could not be delayed for that long.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Bandial said the court wanted to give itsopinion on Article 63-A without delay. “The interpretation of Article 63-Awas necessary for the parliamentary democracy,” the judge said, adding thatthe protection of the Constitution was the duty of this court.
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Justice Ijazul Ahsan said the question before the court only pertained tothe interpretation of Article 63-A. “The interpretation is enforced in thecentre or the province that does not concern this court,” he added. “Thedecision of the Supreme Court will be binding to all the parties,” he added.
The court said it will also listen to Azhar Siddique, the PTI counsel,after Babar Awan.
The additional attorney general said that the new attorney general alsowanted to present his arguments in the case.
The additional AG said that the disqualification reference under Article63-A has been in pending with the election commission, one of the partieswill file appeal in the Supreme Court.
