Shehbaz govt to table Pak SC bill in joint session of parliament today

The Shehbaz Sharif government has convened a joint sitting of the two houses on April 10 to consider the bill that aims at curtailing the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan after President Arif Alvi returned it to the parliament for reconsideration, reported Geo News.

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has convened a joint sitting of parliament on Monday (today) as President Arif Alvi returned the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, unsigned a day earlier.

The bill was aimed at curtailing the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) -- including the suo motu and the formation of benches.

The President had returned the bill for reconsideration to parliament as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution, stating that the bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation, reported Geo News.

According to a circular issued by the NA secretariat, "In exercise of the powers conferred by proviso to rule 4 of the Parliament (Joint Sittings) Rules, 1973, the honourable Speaker has been pleased to call a joint sitting on Monday, the 10th April, 2023 at 4.00 p.m. instead of 2.00 p.m."

Earlier, the joint sitting of parliament was scheduled to be held on April 10 at 2 pm, reported Geo News.

If the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, is approved by the joint session of the parliament with majority, it will be presented to the president again for his assent. If the president does not give his nod to it within 10 days, the approval is deemed to have been given.

The legislation process says, "If the President refers back a bill to Parliament it is considered in a joint session and if passed by majority is deemed to have been passed by both Houses. Sent again to President to shall give assent in 10 days failing which assent shall be deemed to have been given."

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif castigated the president for returning the top court bill, unsigned and called him a worker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reported Geo News.

"President Alvi returning the Supreme Court Bill duly passed by Parliament is most unfortunate," the prime minister said in a hard-hitting tweet.

In the tweet, the prime minister said the president had belittled his office through his actions as he follows the PTI chief's orders rather than fulfilling his constitutional duties, reported Geo News.

"Through his conduct, he has belittled the august Office by acting as a worker of the PTI, one who is beholden to Imran Niazi more than the Constitution & demands of his Office," he added.