The bill was approved by the federal cabinet on March 28 and then passed by both the Houses of the Parliament …reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan National Assembly on Friday notified the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 – a law that would curtail the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), media reports said.
The bill’s implementation was halted by the Supreme Court’s eight-member bench headed by CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Geo News reported.
However, it was notified as a law on Friday because it was deemed to have been assented to by the President (with effect from April 21) under Clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The bill was approved by the federal cabinet on March 28 and then passed by both the Houses of the Parliament – the National Assembly and the Senate – only for the President to refuse to sign it into law with the observation that it travelled “beyond the competence of Parliament”.
However, a joint session of Parliament passed it again on April 10 with certain amendments amid noisy protest by PTI lawmakers. It was then again referred to the President for his assent; however, he once again returned the bill without signing it, Geo News reported.
According to the Constitution, in case the President refuses to sign a bill for a second time after the joint Parliament’s approval, his assent would be deemed granted within 10 days.
On April 13, the Supreme Court had barred the government from enforcing the law, saying the move would “prevent the imminent apprehended danger that is irreparable” as soon as the bill becomes an act of the Parliament, Geo News reported.