Parliament's intent is good, CJP says about law curtailing powers.

ISLAMABAD -- The parliament's intentions were good, said Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday as the top court resumed hearing pleas challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023. The CJP was responding to arguments made by petitioners' counsels reasoning that the parliament should not have legislated upon the apex court's rules. The parliament should not be hampered from doing good just because it lacks the two-third majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment, he remarked, at another point during the hearing. Review petitions filed against the law curtailing CJP's powers are being heard before a full court. The apex court aimed to conclude the case today, on the third day of proceedings, after hearing all parties.

However, the court adjourned the hearing for further arguments from counsels of all parties till 11:30am on Tuesday. Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, the full bench comprises Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed and Justice Musarrat Hilali. Last week, during the second full court hearing of the pleas, the CJP had stressed the need to give due respect to parliament, warning that a failure to do so could result in the country being governed not by its Constitution but by the verdicts delivered by judges.

The chief justice remarked that the Practice and Procedure Act limits the powers of the chief justice on theh one hand but...