Pakistan Parl again passes Bill to curtail CJ’s powers

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ISLAMABAD: A joint session of Pakistan’s Parliament on Monday passed a bill to curb the powers of the chief justice of the Supreme Court regarding suo motu cases and the constitution of benches, amidst strong opposition from Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

“Parliament in its Joint session passes ‘The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023’,” the National Assembly or the lower house announced in a tweet.

The development comes two days after President Arif Alvi returned a Bill passed by both houses of parliament for reconsideration, saying the proposed legislation is beyond the jurisdiction of the legislative body.

During the much-anticipated sitting, the House approved an amendment to the bill, under which a meeting of a committee of the judges will be convened to devise rules and regulations regarding the suo motu matter.