SC urged to hear reference against Isa after SCBA poll.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court Bar Association on Tuesday moved an application requesting the apex court to commence the hearing of a set of petitions, which challenged the filing of a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, in the first week of November, instead of Oct 28, when the SCBA annual elections would be over.

A 10-judge full court had on Monday decided to resume the hearing on the presidential reference on Oct 28, though at the outset they informed the counsel for Justice Isa that they would request Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa for the reconstitution of the full court.

The decision to continue with the hearing was taken when the full court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, was informed that Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, who was unavailable for hearing on Monday, would resume his duty next Monday.

On Tuesday, the SCBA moved a single-page application asking the apex court to adjourn the matter to a date in the week beginning from Nov 4. It stated that the present petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution was pending before the Supreme Court and was fixed for hearing on Oct 28 before the full court.

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It informed the court that the SCBA annual elections were scheduled for Oct 31 and all advocates of the Supreme Court, including the petitioners' counsel in the case, would be busy throughout the next week beginning from Oct 28.

Moreover, the application said, travelling conditions throughout the country were likely to be disturbed during the next week in view of the impending march on the federal capital on Oct 31 by different political parties in the opposition.

'It may kindly be noticed that the present petition and a number of other connected petitions have been filed by the leading bar associations and bar councils from all over Pakistan,' the application...