SIC reserved seats case: SC likely to reserve judgment

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) will resume today (Tuesday) hearing into Sunni Itehad Council (SIC), challenging the verdict of Peshawar High Court (PHC) denying the party reserved seats for women and minorities in the National and provincial assemblies.

A 13-member full court headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa will hear the SIC challenging the PHC verdict denying the party reserved seats for women and minorities in the National and provincial assemblies.

Other members of the bench are Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.

The court on July 2 adjourned the hearing until July 9 after Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and Sikandar Bashir Mohmand, counsel for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had concluded their arguments.

The proceedings of the instant case is being telecast live at Supreme Court’s Youtube channel. On last hearing, Faisal Siddiqi, SIC counsel and Salman Akram Raja, PTI counsel had told the court that they could conclude their respective rebuttals in 20 minutes however, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa told them that they were to leave for a meeting of Judicial Commission of Pakistan hence adjourned the hearing until next Tuesday.

It is expected that the court would reserve the judgments today (Tuesday) after both Faisal Siddiqui, SIC counsel and Salman Akram Raja, PTI counsel concluded their arguments in rebuttal.