ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday dismissed a contempt notice issued to Additional Registrar (Judicial) Nazar Abbas and forwarded a file to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi for forming a full court to deliberate on the powers of committees established under the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 and the constitutional bench committee under Article 191-A.
In a 20-page judgment, a two-member bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi stated, “We find that he [Additional Registrar (Judicial)] did not deliberately avoid the fixation of the cases before the bench as directed in the court order […]. The show-cause notice issued against him for contempt proceeding is discharged.”
The decision signifies an important step towards resolving constitutional matters related to the functioning and authority of judicial committees. The full court’s deliberation will likely address the scope and application of these powers under the legislative and constitutional framework.