Arguments on Petitions of Justice Iftikhar, Others Completed in Pakistan Supreme Court 
'Pakistan Times' Federal Bureau Report

ISLAMABAD: Counsels appearing before the Supreme Court on behalf of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and others Tuesday completed their arguments on the question of maintainability of the petitions filed under article 184 (3) of the Constitution.

Ahmed Raza Khan Kasuri started his right of reply as counsel of the Federation and will complete his submissions by 10 am on Wednesday as decided by the bench.

He said that the Supreme Judicial Council is a constitutional body having status of a special court.

Sharifuddin Pirzada and Malik Muhammad Qayyum will use their right of reply on Wednesday as counsels of the Referring Authority and the Federation of Pakistan respectively.

The hearing of the petitions filed by Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has entered the fourth week.

Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, who is heading the 13-member full court, on Tuesday directed the counsels of the respondents to complete their arguments in right of reply as early as possible on the issue of maintainability of the petitions challenging composition and powers of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Mujeeb Pirzada advocate, who is also a petitioner, argued that the matter regarding appointment and removal of a judge should be in the hands of judiciary.

He said that a judge had no remedial forum according to Article 209 of the Constitution during the entire process of the reference and emphasized on providing a remedial forum to a judge during the process of his removal.

Regarding filing of the reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, he said the matter of reference was mishandled.

"This matter is of the public importance and petitions filed under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution in this regard are maintainable," he said.

The full court comprises Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice M. Javed Buttar, Justice Tassadduque Hussain Jillani, Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Ch.Ijaz Ahmed, Justice Syed Jamshed Ali, Ad-hoc Justice Ghulam Rabbani and ad-hoc Justice Hamid Ali Mirza.

Barrister Dr. Farooq Hassan who appeared before the court as counsel of the Adaliya Bachao Committee also spoke about the maintainability of the petition and cited various judgments.●