The full court bench of the Supreme Court heard the Practice and Procedure Act case where Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa interpolated Justice Ejazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar for repeatedly asking questions during the hearing and asked them to stop their questions.
Things turned tense as Justice Munib tried to pose a question to lawyer Faisal Siddiqui but the chief justice interjected.
“I think the counsel is entitled to argue any which way they want,” the chief justice said, adding that he wanted to hear the lawyer.
However, the chief justice then added that the judge’s opinions can later be shown in the judgment.
“If we have already formed opinions we can reflect them in our judgment,” he added. He asked the lawyer to continue as otherwise the hearings would never conclude.
Justice Munib interjected to say that it was his right to ask questions.
“I’m sorry, this is not a question of forming an opinion. This is a question, that as a judge of the Supreme Court sitting on this bench, I am entitled to ask.”
Justice Isa said that the questions could be asked when the lawyer finished his arguments.
However, Justice Munib continued to press on.
“If I am interrupted all the time, I am sorry to say, sir, that is not proper,” he said. He further said that if the counsel did not want to answer the question it was his issue, not the judge’s.
On the other hand, Justice Ejazul Hassan told lawyer Faisal Siddiqui that I wanted to ask a question. Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa told the lawyer that he should not answer every question, he should only focus on his arguments.
When lawyer Faisal Siddiqui laughed at the remarks of the CJP, the Chief Justice warned the lawyer’s smile and said that there is nothing to laugh about, they are hearing the case from four hearings, and many cases are pending.
He also requested fellow judges If someone wants to ask a question, let the lawyer complete his arguments.
Later, the CJP asked the AGP if he was available tomorrow (Wednesday) and suggested that the hearing could be resumed tomorrow morning. Awan replied in the affirmative after which Justice Isa adjourned the proceedings.