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Full SC bench to hear petition against PCO from March 1

MEHMUD AHMED

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Irshad Hassan Khan has ordered that the petitions challenging the Provisional Constitutional Order of 1999 should be heard by the full court and on day-to-day basis, from March 1.

The officials of the principal Registry of the Supreme Court said the Chief Justice signed the orders here on returning from the lunch he had given for the Board of Directors of the Asian Ombudsmen Association on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the lawyers of the Pakistan Muslim League the main challenger of the PCO failed to file their replication to the government's comments on the petitions before the Court.

Former Senator Rafiq Rajwana who was to accompany the Advocate-on-Record A A Jafrey to Islamabad for submission of the replication was still at Multan while no one was answering phones at the AOR's office and residence.

Khalid Anwer and Rajwana were leading the team of lawyers that will present the Party's case against the dismissal of its prime minister Nawaz Sharif and suspension of the national parliament and the provincial assemblies.

The Party's reply was to be filed with the Registry by Feb 21 but had been delayed as Khalid Anwer could not complete the draft by that date. Rajwana had told the Business Recorder Tuesday that they had finished working on the voluminous document and should be filed by Wednesday. He was also bringing with him a petition seeking a waiver for the delay.

An assistant of Rafiq Rajwana could not specify reasons for the delay but said the AOR was en route Islamabad and should be able to file the documents by Thursday morning.