ISLAMABAD: A seven-judge larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk will meet on December 8 to hear pleas seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, official sources said.
The larger bench — constituted by the CJP a couple of days back — will adjudicate the questions, which were raised by a three-judge bench while hearing an appeal filed by Insaf Lawyers Forum’s senior Vice-President Gohar Nawaz Sindhu.
The petitioner contended that the prime minister had lied on the floor of the house, disgraced the army and therefore should be disqualified. Two other similar petitions were also filed in the apex court.
The SC bench — in its four-page written order issued on November 10 — had ordered the SC’s office to place the case file before the CJP and suggested that a larger bench might be formed “if the CJP considers it appropriate”.
The bench had also suggested to appoint Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) counsel Hamid Khan, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani and senior counsel Khawaja Haris as amicus curiae (friends of the court) to assist the court.
The bench had noted that the case raised important constitutional questions “involving continuity and health of the country’s system of elections, governance and adherence to the will of the people.”
The bench had put emphasis on laying down a law suggesting what should be the minimum threshold for attracting Articles 62(1 f) and 63(1 g) of the Constitution requiring a conviction by a court against a member of parliament.
Internews
