The National Assembly of Pakistan has passed a bill known as the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, which aims to curb the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan in taking suo motu notice. The bill proposes that a three-member committee consisting of senior judges will have the power to take suo motu notice instead of the chief justice alone. This committee will also ensure transparent proceedings in the apex court and give the right to appeal.However,...

The Supreme Court of Pakistan recently considered a petition requesting for the national and provincial assemblies to hold general elections simultaneously. The court ordered the federal coalition and PTI to negotiate an agreement on the elections before 4pm on the same day. However, the proceedings did not resume as the three-judge bench did not appear in the courtroom. The coalition parties informed the court that they had planned to hold a dialogue with...

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued an order to the State Bank of Pakistan to allocate Rs21bn ($127m) for the purpose of conducting the general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies by 17th April. This directive was issued to ensure that the election process is carried out smoothly and without any hindrances. The court has also instructed the Election Commission of Pakistan to verify that the funds have been made available to it...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged to offer financial support worth $1 billion to Pakistan, as announced by the country's finance minister, Ishaq Dar. This announcement comes after a visit by a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in January of this year, which failed to resolve a deadlock over fiscal policy adjustments. However, experts have raised doubts over the effectiveness of such promises, as similar pledges have been made in...

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has taken action against the government officials responsible for failing to disburse Rs21bn in funds for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The officials who have been issued notices include those from the finance ministry, State Bank of Pakistan, the Attorney General for Pakistan and the Election Commission of Pakistan. This action by the Supreme Court follows a report by the Election Commission which revealed...