ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Tuesday received letter from Ministry of Law and Justice for constitution of judicial commission comprising three judges of the apex court to investigate rigging in the 2013 elections.
The Registrar Office confirmed to the media that it has received the request from the federal government. The Registrar said that the sealed envelope would be placed before Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk for pursuing the matter.
President Mamnoon Hussain on April 3 promulgated an ordinance regarding formation of the judicial commission to probe alleged rigging in the general elections. The commission shall have the power to form one or more special investigation teams consisting of officers from Federal Investigation Agency, Inter Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and National Database and Registration Authority.
The commission, comprising three judges of Supreme Court, shall submit its final report within 45 days of its first meeting, according to the ordinance. Chief Justice of Pakistan shall constitute the commission on the request of the federal government, which shall submit such request under sub-section (2) not later than three days after the commencement of the ordinance.
The commission shall have the same power as the Supreme Court of Pakistan to punish any person who abuses, interferes with or obstructs the process of the commission in any way or disobeys any order or direction of the commission or scandalises the commission or any member or otherwise does anything which tends to bring the commission or a member of it into hatred, ridicule or contempt; does anything which tends to prejudice the inquiry or determination of any matter pending before the commission or does any other act, deed or thing which, under any other law, constitutes contempt of court.