In the week before the commencement of summer vacations, the Supreme Court will have five benches - two full and three division - to dispose of one of the heaviest agendas issued so far this year.
The cause list posted on the public notice board here on Saturday spreads over nearly 60 pages, just a few pages less than the one issued three weeks ago that had overflowed nearly 70 pages.
Like the previous one, most of the appeals in the fresh list agitate a common cause that is the duty assessment by the Customs Department and hence all the 330 have been clubbed and are to be heard by the First Bench.
There are two petitions moved by Asif Ali Zardari, former federal minister for Environments and also husband of Benazir Bhutto, seeking annulment of a sentence passed by the Accountability Court and bail in other cases pending before him.
The Hashwani Hotels that own Marriots and the Pearl Continentals have filed an appeal against the Capital Development Authority in connection with a dispute over the assessment of the property tax.
The Authority, acting as the municipal authority of the Federal Capital, has the powers to charge property tax.
Similarly, the Avari chain of hotels that own the Hiltons and Beach Luxury at Karachi, are appealing against the assessment of sales tax.
The composition of five benches will be:
First Bench: Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar.
Second Bench: Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, Justice Rana Baghwandas and Justice Khalil-ur-Rahman Ramday.
Third Bench: Justice Mian Muhammad Ajmal and Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar.
Fourth Bench: Justice Syed Deedar Hussain Shah and Justice Falak Sher.
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