Formation of Judicial Commission: LHC adjourns hearing till May 20

The Lahore High Court(LHC) on Monday adjourned a case to May 20 in petitions challenging the formation of the Judicial Commission to probe the alleged 2013 general election rigging and told the petitioners' counsel to give a report on how the president could never pass an ordinance for such formation of judicial commission.
Counsel Azhar Hameed Butt earlier argued that the president had no powers to issue the ordinance and that such an investigation which was tasked to the commission was the responsibility of election tribunals. He went on to argue that the election tribunals already existed and so the commission had no powers to do so. He also told the court that the president had misused his powers in signing the ordinance.
Several people have challenged the commission, claiming that it has violated the Constitution and that the impugned ordinance has not only violated Article 225 of the Constitution but also came about as a result of the use of force. The applicant's counsel said the proceedings by the commission could never be challenged after its formation and that the counsel for all political parties was appearing before the commission and presenting their views on the rigging claims.