Islamabad: On April 10, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial will review the federal government's plea to withdraw the "curative review petition" against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a current Supreme Court judge, moved by the PTI government.
Following a directive from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the concerned authorities have been asked to withdraw the petition from the Supreme Court.
In his chambers, the CJP will consider a set of 12 applications, including those filed by the government seeking the withdrawal of the curative review petition.
In June 2022, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the curative review petition should be withdrawn, which his predecessor Dr Farogh Naseem had filed before the Supreme Court against Justice Isa.
The former PTI government had argued before the Supreme Court that the majority judgment in the Justice Qazi Faez Isa review case passed on April 26, 2021, should be considered "manifestly and patently unjust, against the public interest and public good which defeats the judicial accountability."
On April 26, 2021, the apex court, by a majority of six to four, reversed its earlier ruling of June 19, 2022, and directed tax authorities to investigate three foreign properties owned by Justice Isa's wife and children.
The curative appeal was filed on behalf of President Dr Arif Alvi, the previous federal government through the secretary of law, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem, and former advisor on accountability Shahzad Akbar.
The curative review contended that the April 26 majority judgment had closed the doors of judicial accountability for Justice Isa, and diluted the standards of judicial accountability.
The appeal further argued that the majority judgment failed to emphasize the duty of officials, judges, qazis, and public servants to disclose their finances and assets, which was required by our religion and glorious heritage, as well as modern jurisprudence. Additionally, the assets and finances of close relatives of public servants, officials, judges, qazis, and others, such as their spouses and dependent children, must also be accounted for, according to the appeal.
Moreover, the majority judgment allegedly usurped the jurisdiction of the Supreme Judicial Council, which was a violation of Articles 209 and 211 and, therefore, unconstitutional and should be revisited since only the SJC, under the Constitution, could have cleared Justice Isa.
No comments:
Post a Comment