ISLAMABAD: A day after the Supreme Court (SC) rejected Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s application seeking permission for live streaming of the hearing of his review petition, the SC judge on Wednesday filed another application in the top court to have the hearing of his review petition, against SC’s June 19, 2020 verdict, fixed immediately.
The application was moved by the judge under order XXXIII Rule 6 of the Supreme Court Rules, 1980, for early hearing of the review petition as it was pending before the apex court. The hearing was fixed for April 13 but was adjourned with other similar review petitions, the application stated.
“That the matter in issue is of great public importance on the facts and grounds contained in the review petition which may kindly be read as an integral part of this application which are not being reproduced for the sake of brevity, therefore requires an earlier adjudication of this matter by this Honourable Count,” the application read.
Justice Isa further maintained that one of the apex members of the special bench/full court hearing the review petition, Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, is due to retire on April 30. “For this reason as well it is a matter of great urgency that these petitions be fixed for hearing immediately,” Justice Isa stated in his application.
“That petitioner’s several legal and constitutional rights are involved. The petitioner seeks indulgence of this Hon’ble Court for the early fixation of the titled Review Petition in the interest of justice,” the application further read. “It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that the titled Review Petition may kindly be fixed for hearing immediately,” Justice Isa said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court dismissed Justice Isa’s application seeking permission for live streaming of the hearing of his review petitions. A 10-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the short order, with six judges voting to dismiss the appeal.
On March 18, the apex court had reserved its ruling on the application seeking permission for live streaming of the hearing of review petitions in Justice Isa’s case against the SC’s short order of June 19, 2020, and the detailed judgement on the filing of presidential reference against him.
