PM, parliamentary body at odds over filing review petition

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and the parliamentary committee on appointment of judges are not on the same page over filing a review petition against the Supreme Court’s decision of setting aside the decision of the committee.
According to a source in the government, it was still undecided whether to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s ruling, with Prime Minister Gilani being fully aware of the political cost of the procedure. Some legal experts associated with the government are advocating filing a review petition, while others believe it might strengthen the impression that the government was not following the Supreme Court’s decisions in letter and spirit.
The Supreme Court had overturned the eight-member committee’s decision of rejecting one-year extension in service for six additional judges of Lahore and Sindh High Courts recommended by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. The eight-member parliamentary committee on judges appointment had decided to advise the prime minister to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against its ruling to set aside the bipartisan body’s decision on the appointment of judges.
The body had met with Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari in the chair at the Parliament House to review the Supreme Court’s decision. Bukhari had told reporters that the SC bench had not properly considered the parliamentary body’s recommendations on extension to services of the judges of Sindh and Lahore high courts. “Therefore, we have decided to ask Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to file a review petition in the apex court on behalf of the federation,” he said.
Sources said Prime Minister Gilani was of the view that a review petition against the SC judgment would not create a good impression for the government regarding its relations with the judiciary. The prime minister was of the view that the government had no problem if the SC turned down parliamentary committee’s decision. However, the PM believes that filing a review petition will definitely have repercussions on the political front, the source said.