ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing till the second week of January (2023) of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against amendments in the NAB law.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, who was heading the three-member bench which heard the petition, observed that many cases with regard to the resignations of PTI lawmakers were pending, but the court should not comment on political matters.
The CJP said joining the parliament or not was the political decision of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). There was a need that all institutions should be functional. How the parliament could be functional in the absence of a big political party, he added.
Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan observed that no National Assembly constituency could be left vacant. The PTI’s members were receiving salaries without attending NA sessions, while the party argued that the assembly was incomplete, he added.
He further observed that the IHC had asked the PTI MNAs to appear before NA Speaker for verification of their resignations. It was a constitutional matter instead of a political one.
He asked why the PTI had not approached the court if the resignations of its members were not being accepted. Whether the party was ready if the speaker accepted the resignations in four days, he remarked.
The court observed that people expressed confidence in their representatives. A member could leave the assembly only if he or she was not physically able to go there.
The lawmakers should raise their voice in the House only as the political debate should be held at political forum, it added.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked that the court would view why the NA speaker was not accepting the resignations. A (resigning) member could raise an objection in that respect too, he added.
The court also observed that it had to view whether the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) law amendments were discussed in the Senate.
Earlier, Imran Khan’s counsel Khwaja Haris said all the PTI members had resigned from the National Assembly and by-polls were conducted on some seats vacated after acceptance of some member’s resignations, which were won by the party.
The members, whose resignations were accepted, did not appear before the speaker, and the party was ready if the court issued directives for the acceptance of resignations of all its members, he added.
