Nine appeals and counter-appeals and a suo motu action initiated by the outgoing Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui in the gang-rape of southern Punjab village girl Mukhtaran Mai will be held by the First Bench of the Supreme Court on Monday.
The cause list posted on the Public Information Board here on Saturday sets the 10 cases at Number Nine that will be the end of the day's roster on the first day of new judicial week.
Four appeals have been initiated by the State against Abdul Khaliq, Faiz Muhammad, Muhammad Aslam and again another Abdul Khaliq seeking enhancement in the punishments for raping 18-year-old girl under the orders of the Council of Elders of Jatoi village in Muzzaffargarh.
Another set of four appeals is from Mukhtaran Mai against the Lahore High Court decision to acquit all 18 accused but Abdul Khaliq of the rape charge.
Soon after the LHC order, the Federal Shariat Court at Islamabad intervened throwing out the acquittal order on the ground that it was only her domain to hear cases falling under the Hudood Ordinance.
On the following day, Supreme Court Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui ordered transfer of the cases from the Lahore High Court as well as FSC to the presence of the nation's highest judicial forum to arbitrate on the jurisdictional issues claimed by the two courts.
The Human Rights organisations as well as those campaigning for the protection of depressed cadres of society have made known their interest to seek representation in the hearing. The First Bench comprises Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, Justice Rana Baghwandas and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhed.
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