ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday emphasized the need for patience, fortitude and courage to deal with this situation, saying the country was going through a crucial phase of its history.
CJP Bandial made the remarks while heading three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC), comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, during resuming hearing petitions against the recently introduced SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Bill, 2023.
As the top court resumed proceedings today, Advocate Rahi, one of the lawyers challenging the law, requested the court for permission to read out an application he wished to file with the court concerning his “abduction”.
“On my return from the SC, I was kidnapped on June 6 and pressured to withdraw the petition [against the SC review law]. I seek the court’s permission to read a petition in this regard,” he said.
However, the lawyer was prevented by the CJP from proceeding further. “Do not read it now, we can read it later ourselves,” the top judge said.
Rahi protested saying he was “pressurised to leave Islamabad” and said he “wanted to bring some facts to light.”
“Sir, this is your personal matter,” remarked CJP Bandial, “I will accept the application. You may come to my chamber and tell me more.”
Earlier in May, the bench had been taken off guard during a hearing over the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) review petition against its April order with regard to elections in Punjab after the state’s top law officer revealed that a new law enlarging scope of review petitions had been enacted.
At the time, the court had adjourned proceedings only to take up pleas challenging the law, the following week on June 6.
During the last proceedings, the apex court had shied away from suspending the law in question. However, the bench also did not form a larger bench to hear the ECP’s review petition as it decided to hear the petitions filed against the review law together with the poll authority’s review plea.
Advocate Rahi’s ‘disappearance’
Notably, on June 10, the Islamabad Capital Territory Police had confirmed that a case was registered after Advocate Rahi had gone missing.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had directed IG Police to ensure the recovery of the lawyer and contact the police department and relevant intelligence agencies for further assistance.
In a written order, IHC judge Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri had said that the petitioner, Rahi’s son, feared that his father was being illegally detained by some persons or agency and ordered IG Islamabad to submit a report on the matter by June 12.
