The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Pakistan Bar Council vice chairperson, the Supreme Court Bar Association president and the attorney general of Pakistan, asking for assistance in determination of jurisdiction of the apex court’s judges in suo moto cases, reported Aaj News.

The case was heard by a five-member larger bench headed by SC acting Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial.

On the issue of the authority of the Supreme Court judges on suo moto cases, the court asked whether apex court judges are allowed to take up suo moto cases.

The issue came to surface as a two-judge SC bench, consisting of Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, took notice of the rising incidents of harassment of journalists.

Former president of the Press Association of the Supreme Court Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui drew the attention of the judges to the issue, reported Dawn.

The report said: “The court observed that since the application had raised matters of public importance with reference to the enforcement of fundamental rights, it met the criteria for invoking Article 184(3) of the Constitution.”

Later a plea was filed in the apex court related to the issue. The Supreme Court in the hearing on August 20 issued orders asking three senior officials to appear before the court to hear the government’s version on the rising incidents of harassment of journalists, according to the report.

During the course of Monday’s hearing, the apex court wanted to give a definite conclusion to the authority of SC chief justices related to the determination of the suo moto cases.

The apex court observed that the SC had issued orders on a plea which was not taken up by the court, adding currently the court was not considering the issues raised by the journalists.

It further said the orders of the SC would not come into effect till a new bench was made for the case. However, the directives given in the August 20 order would be effective.

The court adjourned the proceedings of the case till Wednesday.