By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Wednesday admitted that there was some need to streamline Supreme Court’s internal matters but he also questioned the timing of the bill government moved to curb the power of the Chief Justice on suo moto notices, a television channel reported.
The National Assembly on Wednesday adopted a bill aimed at curtailing the discretionary powers of the chief justice, preventing him from taking suo motu notices in an individual capacity on issues of fundamental rights and constituting benches for various cases.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented ‘The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023’ in parliament.
“I think the timing could have been better. [Perhaps], it should have happened before as [passing this bill during a political] crisis raises a question mark on its timing,” President Alvi said at a talk show on Geo News TV channel.
“The timing could have been better… however, there was some need to streamline how the Supreme Court conducts itself.”
“This discussion was taking place within the Supreme Court for many days so this matter should be settled by taking it (apex court) into confidence,” the President said.
He stressed that the apex court should have been involved in the process.
In response to a question about whether he will give his approval to the bill, Alvi stated that he has just seen the draft of the bill and it would be “premature” for him to say what he will do.
The bill was moved two days after two Supreme Court judges questioned the suo motu (on its own) powers of the country’s top judge. The legislation was already approved by the cabinet in its hurriedly called meeting in the capital Islamabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair on Tuesday.
The bill would become law once it is also passed by the Senate—the upper house of Pakistan’s bicameral parliament—and receives the president’s formal approval.
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