Army, Official Secret acts: objections to plea removed
The Supreme Court has removed objections of the Registrar's Office on a petition filed by the PTI founder against amendments to the Official Secret Act and the Army Act and has directed the office to allot it a number.
A seven-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan, was hearing the case.
The court inquired the counsel for tge PTI founder that why he did not approach the high court first. "It is a matter of great public interest. The amendments affect fundamental rights of the people," responded Advocate Shoaib Shaheen.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked that the Supreme Court now can't hear petitions against Article 184/3. "Article 199 will become ineffective if we continue to allow direct petitions, bypassing the high courts."
"But this should be decided by the court and not by the Registrar Office that what petitions the court would admit and what are to be sent to a High Court," responded Shoaib Shaheen.
The court asked the counsel to prepare arguments on the permissibility of the petition and adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed later.
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