A three-member bench including Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muneeb Akhtar and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan reserved the verdict after Attorney General Mansoor Awan completed his arguments on June 19.

The review bill had been passed by the assembly as the country’s top court was taking up the Punjab election delay case.

Election Commission of Pakistan’s lawyer argued that after the passage of the new bill, the three-member bench cannot hear the case against election delay and it must be referred to a larger bench.

The bill had been passed soon after the government passed a bill clipping the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan. However, that bill had been stopped from taking effect by the top court.

The review bill is particularly aimed at giving the right of appeal to petitioners in cases where the court took suo motu notice.