Supreme Court Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk on Wednesday rejected a plea to form a larger bench of the apex court to hear Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification case.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain through his counsel had requested the court for the formation of a seven-member larger bench to hear Sharif’s disqualification trial.
The main petitioner in the case, Ishaq Khan Khakwani who belongs to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), raised objections to Justice Jawwad Khawaja’s presence in the bench hearing the case.
Khakwani through his counsel Irfan Qadir submitted a plea that expressed their reservations against Justice Khawaja and requested for his stepping down from the hearing the trial.
The petition was also rejected by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk.
On Monday, a three-member bench headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja had rejected the plea for the formation of a larger bench relating to PM Nawaz’s disqualification, citing that only Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk possesses the authority to form a larger bench and therefore a separate petition should be filed.
The petitioners had requested the court to disqualify Prime Minister Sharif under Article 62 (f) of the Constitution, claiming he gave a false statement in the joint sitting of the Parliament over the role of the army in negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) to end their prevailing sit-ins in Islamabad.
The hearing had been subsequently adjourned until October 2.