Delay in fixing appeal: SC issues notice to ex-deputy speaker of NA Qasim Suri

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday issued notice to former deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri after the apex court registrar office submitted its report regarding the delay in fixation of his appeal.

A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard the appeal of Qasim Suri against a decision of an election tribunal, that annulled his victory from NA-265 constituency in the 2018 general election and ordered re-election.

During the course of hearing, the chief justice inquired as to whether Qasim Suri was present in the courtroom. Naeem Bukhari, counsel for Suri, replied in negative, saying that despite repeated attempts, he could not be contacted.

The court staff told the bench that the registrar’s office had received non-compliance report of court’s notices.

Naeem Bukhari submitted that the court had sought report from registrar’s office over the non-decision and fixation of Qasim’s Suri appeal, adding that the instant appeal had been fixed nine times since it was filed in the apex court.

Bukhari further submitted that there were some errors in the registrar office report. The CJP asked the counsel as to why the instant appeal was not fixed for hearing on the scheduled time. Naeem Bukhari replied that more than 80 cases of similar nature had been clubbed for hearing, and it might be the reason for delay.

The CJP observed that they were not making him responsible for that, adding that it was the apex court own fault. Later, the court adjourned the matter till after Eidul-Fitr.