ISLAMABAD – A full bench of the Supreme Court set to hear a slew of petitions challenging the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was dissolved on Monday due to the non-availability of a judge.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who was heading the bench, said as Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel is unavailable as he has submitted an application for long vacations.
Justice Bandial said that the matter of forming a news bench is being sent to the chief justice.
Justice Isa’s counsel, Munir A. Malik, requested again that a full-court bench be formed to take up the case, to which Justice Bandial remarked that it is up to the chief justice to form a bench however he finds suitable.
The 10-member larger bench of the apex court was consisted of Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed.
The matter of forming a bench for the case has been sent to the chief justice for the second time.
Initially, a seven-member bench was constituted to hear the petitions but it was dissolved after Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Ijazul Ahsan recused himself from hearing the case. The top judge had then constituted the current 10-member bench.
The presidential reference filed against Justice Isa alleges that he acquired three properties in London on lease in the name of his wife and children between 2011 and 2015, but did not disclose them in the wealth returns.
