Bar Council to challenge Pakistan's 23rd Amendment

The Pakistan Bar Council, following in the footsteps of the Supreme Court Bar Association, will be filing a constitutional petition in the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging the 23rd Amendment's revival of military courts. Details here.

The challenges are beginning to mount up. Excerpt from another report:

Barrister Zafarullah Khan of Watan Party filed a petition at the Lahore registry of the apex court pleading that the establishment of the military courts is against the basic spirit of the Constitution.

He contends that Article 175 of the Constitution defines separate roles for executive and judiciary. Therefore, he says, administrative officers cannot be appointed as judges.

He asks the court to declare the 23rd amendment void for being an extra constitutional act.