ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa-led larger bench will take up the federal government’s intra-court appeal challenging the top court’s verdict to annul accountability law amendments on October 31 (Tuesday).
A three-member larger bench of the apex court — headed by then Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah — on Sept 15 by a majority of 2-1 had restored corruption cases against the public office-holders after striking down some of the amendments made by the PDM government to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, declaring it against the rights pertaining to the public interest enshrined in the Constitution.
Subsequently, the federal government filed an appeal under Section 5 of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 against the apex court’s order.
The five-member larger bench headed by CJP Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minullah and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi will hear the government’s appeal.
The top court has also issued notices to lawyers.
The government had contended that by setting aside the law passed by parliament and making amendments to the NAB law, the apex court had crossed its powers.
It was further contended that parliament was competent to legislate adding that it had enacted a law making amendments to the NAB law.
