ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
A nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) hearing pleas against trials of civilians in military courts has been dissolved after two judges of the apex court recused themselves from being part of the bench, News chennal reported.
The bench was dissolved as two of its member including Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the next CJP and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood excused from being part of the bench hearing pleas against the military courts.
Besides the CJP, Senior Puisne Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi are part of the larger bench.
At the outset of the hearing, Justice Qazi Faez said he was surprised after seeing his name in the cause list last night. The senior-most judge after CJP remarked the SC Practices and Procedure Bill was suspended by an eight-member bench of the apex court even before letting it become law.
“I am not a part of the bench hearing the [case related to] Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill so I will not make any remark about it,” the senior-most SC judge said.
The judgment passed by my bench on March 5 was ‘scrapped’ through a circular released by the SC registrar, Justice Qazi Faez Isa said.
He questioned if this was the importance of a decision made by the apex court.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa said he cannot remain part of the bench as he does not consider it a ‘bench’. I will not be part of any bench until the decision is reached on the Supreme Court Practices and Procedure Bill, he added.
“I’m leaving this bench.”
Another member of the bench Justice Tariq Masood also recused himself from hearing the case. After the exclusion of two judges from the bench CJP Umar Ata Bandial has reconstituted a 7-member bench to hear the petitions.
Now the hearing will resume at 1.30 pm.