Justice Mansoor calls for full court to hear NAB amendment case

ISLAMABAD: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has suggested constitution of a full court to hear the case against NAB amendment, filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

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A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah conducted hearing into the case.

Justice Shah said court should decide the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act case or constitute a full court otherwise.

Citing his note written in the military trial case, Justice Mansoor requested the CJ to form a full court to take up the case.

He said the matter would have been entirely different if the case related to Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act had been decided.

As the hearing commenced, Justice Mansoor told the PTI counsel that even during the 47^th hearing of the case, the court has not been given a satisfactory answer to which fundamental rights are being infringed by the amendments.

Urging the concerned parties give final arguments in the case, CJP said the case has been pending since 2022 and he would want to decide the case before bowing out, on September 16.

However, he cautioned: “It is not necessary that the verdict will be on the merits of the NAB amendments case. The court may decide about the admissibility of the case.”

Adjourning the hearing, Justice Bandial said day to day hearing would be conducted into the case from August 28.