CJP to form larger bench on reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A

The Supreme Court (SC) said on Monday that it would constitute a larger bench for the hearing of the presidential reference, seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the constitution by the court, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.   

During the hearing of the reference, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that nobody could be barred from casting vote.

At the same time, however, he made it clear that people’s businesses and routine life should also not get affected by the political activities of parties resulting from the no-confidence motion.     

Justice Muneeb Akhtar, while addressing the counsel for the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) who had given the reference of Article-66 during the hearing, said as how the said article gave the right to vote to the legislators. “In fact, the article gives protection to parliamentary proceedings,” he elaborated.

He went on to say that under Article 95-II, the individual vote of a member of the National Assembly (MNA) did not count. “The apex court has already given its observations in Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto cases,” he reminded.  

The CJP asked as what the Bar had to do with the vote of confidence. “The SCBA should be concerned about the rights of citizens,” he remarked.  

SCBA’s lawyer replied that after all the vote of confidence was also a matter of public interest.

CJP Bandial further said that as per the constitution, parliament had paramount importance, and political parties, too, had rights. “Article 63-A sheds light on the rights of parties,” he elaborated.   

CJP Bandial then adjourned the hearing of the case until March 24.  

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that a conspiracy was hatched against the elected government of Pakistan.

He said the government had prayed to the court to explain whether there was any room for the sale of votes (horse trading).

The minister said the government was aware that conspiracies would be hatched against it. “But we are determined to fight till the last drop of our blood,” he vowed.

Fawad alleged that even the campaign launched by India and Israel against the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference could not match that of the opposition parties. “Look at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who receives votes in the name of Islam. But look how he is serving the cause of the religion these days,” he wondered.

He said, on the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan was making efforts to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state. “Bilawal, who is a child, attempted to stop the holding of the OIC conference by making an extremely controversial statement. By doing so, he tried to damage the country’s interests,” he lamented.