SC reserves verdict on Justice Isa's plea for live broadcast of review petition's proceedings

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved verdict on Justice Qazi Faez Isa's plea for live broadcast of his review petition's proceedings.

A 10-member SC larger bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Aminuddin Khan heard the review petition seeking removal of paragraphs 2 to 11 of the June 19, 2020 verdict.

On June 19, 2020, seven judges of a 10-judge bench quashed a presidential reference against Justice Isa but also ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to conduct an inquiry into the foreign assets of the judge’s family members and submit a report to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

During the course of proceedings, petitioner Justice Isa said it was being propagandized that the junior judges had never given ruling against the senior colleagues.

He said the court was asked to send the matter to a full court and what would be the position if the chief justice did not convene a full court meeting for a long time. Two judges had recused themselves from hearing his case, he added.

He said three judges of the bench were members of the Supreme Judicial Council.

He said he had pleaded live broadcast of his review petition and not for all cases, and its purpose was to show that the court made everyone accountable at the public level. All the judges except Justice Bandial were his juniors, he added.

Justice Munib Akhtar said the additional attorney general was representing the government, who argued on legal points. Justice Isa should not humiliate the other party's lawyer, he added.