SC bench defers cases until apex court rules amendments.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan with the maA!jority of 2 to 1 WednesA!day said that hearing of all the cases under ArA!ticle 184(3) of the ConA!stitution be deferred until the changes are made in the Supreme Court Rules 1980 regarding the discretionary powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form benches.

A three-member bench of the apex court headA!ed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and Justice Shahid Waheed on March 15 had heard a suo motu case related to examining the grant of 20 additional marks to a Hafiz-e-Quran student while admitting them for an MBBS/BDS degree. The order of the case, was authored by Justice Faez, uploaded on the SC webA!site on Wednesday. Justice Amin endorsed Justice Qazi's views, while Justice Shahid dissented.

The order said that neither the Constitution nor the rules give CJP the power to make special benchA!es or select judges who will be on these benches. 'The rules...