SC hears President's reference today

ISLAMABAD: A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) would initiate hearing of the Presidential reference regarding the appointment of judges in higher judiciary today (Monday).

Five-member larger bench headed by Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and comprising Justice Tariq Parvez Khan, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed would hear the reference.

The bench would hear Constitution Petition for early hearing of the case on the ground that respondents deliberately caused obstruction in the adjudication of the petition instead of apologizing for having already caused an inexplicable delay in the completion of the constitutional mechanism for induction of Judges of the Islamabad High Court and Presidential Reference filed under Article 186 of the Constitution.

Through reference the President of Pakistan has desired to seek the opinion on the questions of law, considered by him to be of public importance, in respect of appointment of the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts in view of the 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments.

The 31-page reference raised 13 questions that were related to the role of judicial commission and a bipartisan parliamentary committee in the appointment of judges.

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