Senate passes SC Practice and Procedure Bill 2023

Islamabad: Senate passed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill 2023 on Thursday.

In the meeting presided over by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar submitted a motion to present the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill in the House.

The motion of the opposition to refer the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill to the Standing Committee was rejected and the motion to pass the bill was approved immediately.

Opposition senators protested in the senate and reached the rostrum of the chairman senate and shouted slogans against the attack on the judiciary.

Meanwhile, the Senate security cordoned off the government and opposition benches after which the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure bill was presented for approval.

The bill was passed by a majority, with 60 votes in favor and 19 against of it.

Senators belonging to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan Awami Party on opposition seats also voted in support of the bill.

Speaking in the Senate before the voting, Nazir Tarar said that all judges of the Supreme Court are equal.

To strengthen the institution, instead of strengthening the personality, the system should be strengthened, federal minister added.

He further stated that National Assembly passed the Supreme Court Bill 2023 yesterday. Parliament has power to legislate, new trend had been seen in Supreme Court for two decades. Constitution does not allow to interfere unnecessarily in boundaries.

Meanwhile, PTI Senator Ali Zafar and opposition leader Shehzad Waseem tried to discuss the bill, responding to which Chairman Senate stopped them from talking and said: “Let the questions be completed first, I will not consider the bill until you discuss the bill”.

Speaking at the meeting, the Shehzad Waseem said that you cannot stand the queue of flour, yet you want to make Supreme Court rules.

Making rules of the Supreme Court is an indirect attack, you created division in the judiciary before too. You are trying to divide the Supreme Court, they have not discussed the right of appeal in the Bill before.

Shahzad stated: “The amendment was made in the standing committee that the right of appeal should be given in the past cases as well. You should state your defense that you want to excuse your cases”.

He further added that stop the way of fooling the nation, this is not a reform bill, and it is a bill of interests.

“Through this bill they want to gain personal interest, the constitution has made it mandatory to hold elections in 90 days, they passed the bill. The Election Commission does not wait for favorable conditions, it has to conduct elections on time,” opposition leader stated.

The opposition members demanded that a vote should be taken to refer the bill to the committee. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members carried posters in the House on which slogans like attack on the judiciary was not approved were written.

PTI Senator Ali Zafar said that the bill should be entrusted to the committee, he used to oppose not sending the important matter to the committee even in his own government.

Ali added: “There is an objection to the timing of the bill, now the related election case is going on with the Supreme Court. It is going on, the constitutional issue is going on in the Supreme Court”.

It is being discussed that where it is written in the constitution that the election can be delayed if there is no budget.

Senator further said that can we amend 184/3 without constitutional amendment, if you pass such a law then declare this law invalid in the next 15 days.

Notably yesterday the National Assembly approved the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill 2023 by majority vote.