Zubair Qureshi
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought reply from Ministry of Law & Justice within two weeks in a petition challenging Presidential Ordinance.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah was hearing a plea on Friday that challenged promulgation of eight presidential ordinances passed by the government.
Chief Justice Minallah also appointed senior lawyers Babar Awan, Raza Rabbani, Abid Hassan Manto and Makhdoom Ali Khan as amicus curiae and directed them for submission of written response of the questions forwarded to them by court in the matter.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Mohsin Shahnawaz Raja has argued before the court that these ordinances amounted to undermine the supremacy of the Parliament. The ordinances were related to conversion of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) into the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), protection of whistleblowers informing about any benami property and asset, rights of ownership of women in property, speedy mechanism for issuance of letter of administration and succession certificates, establishment of legal aid and justice authority to provide justice to the poor and vulnerable segments of society, court dress and mode of address to judges, recovery of mortgage-backed securities by financial institutions and the National Highway Safety.
The petition has cited President Dr Arif Alvi, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and Secretaries of Law, National Assembly and Senate as respondents.
