ISLAMABAD:A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Monday rejected Pakistan Peoples Party’s plea to form a full court bench for the hearing on constitutional crisis arising out of National Assembly Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling to reject no-confidence motion, however, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that they would issue an appropriate order on the matter.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan is currently holding hearing on his suo motu notice of the situation. During the hearing, PPP lawyer Farooq H Naik asked the court to form a full bench to hear the case following which CJP Bandial remarked why he was so anxious.

He said the court knew fully well what question was more important before it. While telling the PPP lawyer, the CJP said if the lawyer had any objection over the bench, then the judges would leave. He said if he formed full bench, it would affect other cases. On this, Farooq Naik said that he had full confidence in the bench. The CJP rejected the PPP plea to form a full-court bench.

“A speaker can reject a resolution as per the Assembly rules,” Justice Muneeb Akhtar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan said during the hearing of the suo motu notice on the constitutional crisis triggered after National Assembly deputy speaker ruled the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan “unconstitutional.”

Babar Awan appeared before the five-member bench and said that he was representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and would like to read out a court order of 21 March 2022. Advocate Naeem Bokhari also appeared before the bench and said that he would represent the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

The chief justice asked Farooq H Naek to continue with his arguments saying that they would be assessing the legal and constitutional merits of whatever happened in the National Assembly. During his arguments, the PPP counsel said that the speaker violated his mandate and pushed the country towards a constitutional crisis. When the CJP asked him to share the facts, he said that Fawad Chaudhry made a speech over a letter received from abroad, which was first pointed out by Imran Khan in his speech on March 27.

He argued that it was why the April 3 was chosen for the voting day and even on the day, the speaker did not allow debate on the matter even when the entire day was left for the matter. The Supreme Court has formed a five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan for the suo moto hearing over the deputy speaker’s ruling over the no-trust motion in the National Assembly.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel are other members of the bench. Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan earlier said that whatever decision is given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan with regard to a ruling by Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri against no-trust move will be implemented.

During an argument with Justice Munib Akhtar, Farooq Naek said that there should be a debate when a question arises in the National Assembly to which the judge said that it could be a procedural mistake. Naek, however, said that it was not a procedural matter.

Justice Munib Akhtar further remarked that it is his personal opinion that it is the prerogative of the speaker to give ruling and none other than him and the deputy speaker is only bound to run affairs as per the rules. After this the court adjourned the hearing till 12pm tomorrow.