The Supreme Court of Pakistan fixed on Saturday Justice Isa curative review reference for hearing tomorrow (Monday) after the incumbent government submitted a plea last week to withdraw it. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial will conduct an in-chamber hearing. On March 30, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the withdrawal of the curative review reference against Supreme Court’s senior-most judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa as the government decided to not pursue the matter further. The federal cabinet had already approved the decision. “The Prime Minister has directed Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar to withdraw the curative review reference against Justice Qazi Faiz Isa,” read an official statement issued by the Prime Minister Office.
According to the statement, the premier said that Justice Isa and his family were harassed and defamed in the name of presidential reference. He furthered that filing of reference was “a nefarious conspiracy to divide the independence of the Judiciary and divide it,” saying the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and allied parties had condemned the “false reference” even during the opposition period.
