A request submitted before the apex court on behalf of the IB Director General said, “The petitioner intends to withdraw the titled civil review petition and does not want to pursue the matter in the case.” The request was submitted two days before hearing of the petition was scheduled to be held.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, will take up the review petitions against the judgment on September 28. Justice Isa was also the author of the said judgment of the apex court issued in 2019.

The petitions against the verdict were filed by the Mini­stry of Defence, IB, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), former minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) — all of whom were named in the verdict. But the IB has now asked the apex court to accept its plea for the withdrawal of the case.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Intelligence Bureau Withdraws Petition Against Justice Isa’s 2019 Verdict On TLP’s Sit-In appeared first on Dissent Today.

The presidential reference filed by Alvi, over allegations of undeclared properties of the judge and his wife, was later quashed by the Supreme Court, that declared it a case of mala fide intent.

“Although the preparation and framing of the reference against the petitioner [Justice Isa] is not patently motivated with malice in fact, the scale and degree of the illegalities are such that the reference is deemed to be tainted with mala fide in law,” the apex court had said in its order.

While the reference was quashed, the court had ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to look into the judge’s tax returns. Justice Isa had then filed a petition seeking review of the decision, and during its hearing, he stated that the then government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wanted to remove him over his verdict in the Faizabad protest case.

In the Faizabad protest judgement issued in 2018, Justice Isa had questioned the role of intelligence agencies including Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in encouraging extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for its violent protest in Islamabad against the then government.

He had criticised the Director General Rangers’ act of handing out cash to workers of the TLP after their violent protest, that had continued for over 20 days and brought the capital to a standstill, ended following an agreement with the government.

“TLP’s dharna participants received cash handouts from men in uniform, the perception of their involvement gained traction.

The Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has also taken to commenting on political matters: “History will prove the 2018 general elections were transparent.”

The armed forces, and all agencies manned by the personnel of the armed forces, including ISI, Military Intelligence (MI) and ISPR serve Pakistan, and thus all its citizens.

They must never be perceived to support a particular political party, faction or politician.

If any personnel of the armed forces indulges in any form of politicking or tries to manipulate the media he undermines the integrity and professionalism of the armed forces,” Justice Isa had noted in the Faizabad judgement.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Qazi Faez Isa, Strong Proponent Of Rule Of Law, Takes Oath As Pakistan’s Chief Justice appeared first on Dissent Today.

Justice Isa expressed these views in a 30-page statement issued in Urdu. He attached with the statement earlier notes and orders in this regard. This is the same statement that the judge read out in the open court on Thursday when he stated that the nine-judge bench, in which he was included, was not a properly constituted court. Following the statement, Justice Isa had announced that he would not sit on the bench, but he was not recusing.

Referring to his May 19 appointment as head of the three-member judicial commission to probe audio leaks, he noted that a bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the chief justice, had halted the proceedings of this commission. The case was again taken up on May 31, but later postponed for an indefinite period.

According to Justice Isa, he had been put into a quandary from which he could only escape when the petitions against the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure law were resolved, or at least the stay granted against the enforcement of the law was removed.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Chief Justice Has Put Other SC Judges Into ‘Unnecessary Dilemma’: Justice Isa appeared first on Dissent Today.

Justice Isa’s presence in the National Assembly was criticised by many members of the legal fraternity, as well as politicians as he is slated to become the next chief justice of Pakistan in September.

In a notification issued today, the senior judge said: “The Golden Jubilee of the Constitution is a celebration of all citizens; it is not the exclusive domain of any particular party or institution.”

“The significance of the Constitution must be impressed upon all, and this should be done continuously,” he added.

The top court judge was also criticized for being seated in the front row along with the politicians belonging to the ruling coalition.

Addressing this criticism, he said that he did not choose to sit there but he was shown respect as a senior member of the judiciary and offered a seat at the centre.

Justice Isa reiterated that he was assured no political speeches would be made during the convention, so he attended the session to “show solidarity with the Constitution”. He added that prior to the session, he had declined to make a speech but when political speeches were made, he had to clarify his stance.

“I requested to speak to correct any misconceptions that may arise, and I did so,” he said.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Justice Isa Says Was Told There Will Be No Political Speeches At Constitution’s Golden Jubilee Celebration appeared first on Dissent Today.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa made these remarks and rejected the bail application of Syed Zafar Ali Shah, who is accused of marrying a 14 year-old-girl for which a case was registered in August 2021.

Aaj News reported that a three-member bench also directed the trial court to wrap up the case quickly.

During the hearing, Justice Isa also asked Shah’s lawyer about the punishment for marrying an underage girl. To this, the lawyer replied that according to Pakistan’s laws marrying a girl under the age of sixteen is a crime and punishable by life imprisonment, however, Sharia law states that a fourteen-and-a-half-year-old girl can get married.

Justice Isa told the lawyer that he is confessing to his client’s crime by telling the court that he has married an underage girl.

Shah’s lawyer argued that the medical examination has proven the girl’s age to be seventeen years old. The court dismissed the argument saying that the official document, Birth Certificate, states that the girl is 14, therefore the court does not need to look at a medical report.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post How Can A Grown Man Marry A Minor Girl, Asks Supreme Court  appeared first on Dissent Today.