Islamabad: After a Supreme Court judgement suspended proceedings under Article 184, Judge Amin-Ud-Din Khan Khan on Thursday withdrew from a five-member bench hearing the election delay issue (3).
After Judge Amin-Ud-Din withdrew, the Supreme Court was scheduled to continue hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-(PTI) Insaf’s appeal against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 11:30.
On Wednesday, a Supreme Court panel chaired by Justice Qazi Faez Isa directed that matters falling under Article 184(3) of the Constitution be delayed until the Supreme Court Rules 1980, which govern the chief justice’s discretionary power to establish benches, had been amended.
Justice Amin-Ud-Din, along with Justice Isa, agreed on awarding 20 marks to Hafiz-e-Quran students seeking admission to the MBBS/BDS degree under Regulation 9(9) of the MBBS and BDS (Admissions, House Job and Internship) Regulations, 2018. However, Justice Shahid Waheed dissented with the majority order of 2-1 in the suo moto case.
When the five-member bench entered the courtroom to begin the hearing today, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said that Justice Amin wished to make a statement.
“I recuse myself from the present case in light of the SC order issued by Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” stated the judge, and the initial bench consisted of CJP Bandial, Judge Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail. A new bench will be assembled to hear the case following the recusal of a judge.
After financial and security authorities expressed their inability to support the electoral process, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to postpone the Punjab elections from April 30 to October 8. As a result, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition with the Supreme Court.
Judge Mandokhail discussed the case’s merits during yesterday’s hearing because the Supreme Court had not yet issued an order of the court. While also asking the government for assurances that the political climate in the nation will be moderated.