By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: A 10-member Supreme Court bench hearing over a dozen pleas challenging the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) proceedings against SC justice Qazi Faez Isa on Tuesday adjourned the case till Oct 14, as it refused to defer the hearing for two weeks on Justice Isa counsel Munir A Malik’s request.
The bench headed Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that a member of the bench has to travel out of the country after two weeks; hence, there would be no such delay. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor also submitted his reply to the petition filed by Justice Isa.
The court directed the attorney general to provide a copy of his reply to all petitioners in the case.
Responding to the reply, Malik argued that while the petition says that allegations against his client were based on malafide intentions, there was no mention of the point in the reply to the petition.
However, the bench insisted that the counsel start his arguments in the case on the same day. To which, Justice Isa’s counsel replied he didn’t have time to examine the government’s response as it was submitted on the same day as of the hearing.
Justice Bandial said, “We are trying to hear the case as soon as possible.” Referring to earlier delay, the SC judge said the case was delayed earlier because of Malik’s illness.
“The entire nation is looking to this bench, so why hurry? I want the 10-member bench to safeguard this institution,” counsel Malik added.
“We are here to hear cases. Let us know if you want a prolonged deferment of the case,” he said. The head of the bench further said that an “honourable friend” from his “community” has been accused so the bench wants to hear out the matter post haste.
Malik argued that the judge and his family members were spied upon. “A campaign was launched against my client,” he said. Justice Bandial asked the counsel to elaborate his allegation with the help of the background of the case. Malik responded that his client had passed a verdict which was disliked.
