ISLAMABAD, May 06, Ahead of the decision on petitions related to
reserved seats, the Supreme Court issued a significant ruling authored
by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, clarifying the scope of review jurisdiction
under Article 188 of the Constitution.
The judgment states that a review petition can only be filed under
Article 188 of the Constitution and the Supreme Court Rules. It
underscores that mere dissatisfaction with a verdict is not sufficient
grounds for review. Instead, a review must point to a legal or technical
error.
The bench ruled that issues already deliberated and dismissed during the
original proceedings cannot be reopened through a review petition. It
further observed that the argument that an alternative interpretation
could have been considered is not a valid ground for review.
The judgment also expressed concern over the backlog of cases in the
country, noting that nearly 2.2 million cases remain pending nationwide
— with over 56,000 currently awaiting adjudication in the Supreme Court
alone. A significant portion of this backlog, the ruling noted, consists
of unnecessary review petitions, which the judiciary should actively
discourage.
The ruling was passed by a three-member bench comprising Justice Mansoor
Ali Shah, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan.
Meanwhile, a 13-member full court, headed by Justice Syed Aminuddin
Khan, heard review petitions concerning the reserved seats.
On July 12, 2023, the court had directed to allot the reserved seats to
the PTI. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had authored that order. Justice Shah
is not part of the larger bench hearing the review petition.