ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi, Wednesday, sent back the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 without signing but it will become law today (Thursday).

The president said that the issue of legislative competence and validity of the bill is pending before the highest judicial forum of the country.

According to Presidency Press Wing, the president said that in respect of the matter being heard, no further action on the bill is appropriate.

Despite the president’s refusal to sign the bill, it will become law on April 20, as the Joint Sitting of the Parliament had passed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill, 2023 on April.

Joint parliament session adopts Supreme Court amendment bill

Earlier, the bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament and sent to the President for assent amid a standoff between the government and the judiciary over elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But the President had returned the Bill to the Parliament for reconsideration to Parliament, stating that it prima-facie “travels beyond the competence of Parliament” and could be assailed as “colourable legislation”.

After it the government then got the bill passed by a joint session of parliament on April 10 despite strong protest from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), after which it was again sent to the president to sign.

According to Article 75 (2) of the Constitution, “When the President has returned a Bill to the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), it shall be reconsidered by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in joint sitting and, if it is again passed, with or without amendment, by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), by the votes of the majority of the members of both Houses present and voting; it shall be deemed for the purposes of the Constitution to have been passed by both Houses and shall be presented to the President, and the President shall give his assent within ten days, failing which such assent shall be deemed to have been given.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023