ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial will hear a set of 12 applications in his chambers on April 10 (tomorrow) regarding the curative review against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a sitting Supreme Court judge, by the PTI government. The appeals include a request from the Shehbaz Sharif-led government to withdraw the curative review petition.
This comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar on March 30 to withdraw the curative review reference against Justice Isa, citing that the previous government had filed the action on “flimsy” and “baseless” grounds. This statement followed a similar statement made by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on June 23, 2022, suggesting the withdrawal of the curative review petition, which his predecessor Dr Farogh Naseem had moved before the Supreme Court.
It may be recalled here that on April 26, 2021, the Supreme Court had overturned its majority ruling of June 19, 2020, by a majority of six to four, ordering an investigation by tax authorities into three foreign properties in the name of the wife and children of Justice Isa. The curative appeal was filed on behalf of President Dr Arif Alvi, the previous federal government through the secretary of law, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, former law minister Dr Farogh Naseem, former adviser on accountability Shahzad Akbar, among others.
The curative review argues that the April 26 majority judgment had closed the doors of judicial accountability, diluting the standards of judicial accountability, and providing a shield for the judges of superior courts to evade judicial accountability behind the doctrine of judicial independence.
