The Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has completed the hearing on the presidential reference regarding 12 refugee seats and reserved the verdict.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram heard the presidential reference, with Justice Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry also on the bench.
The court heard detailed arguments from the judicial assistants and the parties on the constitutional questions raised in the presidential reference.
Senior lawyer Raja Sajjad Ahmed Khan Advocate took the stand that the Assembly has full legislative power under Article 33.
He said that the members of the Assembly have made their views clear on the issue of refugee seats in the All Parties Conference.
He said that the issue of refugee seats should have been taken up in the High Power Committee. During the hearing, a reference to the negotiations between the Federal Committee and the Joint Public Action Committee was also presented before the court.
Barristers Humayun Nawaz, Raja Sadaqat Hussain and Sardar Abdul Raziq also argued on legal points.
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan and Member of Assembly Abdul Majid Khan were present in the court during the hearing.
The court examined the question of whether the 12 refugee seats can be abolished or changed without a constitutional amendment and also had a detailed discussion on the power and limits of the current Legislative Assembly to make constitutional amendments.
The court sought an opinion on the legality of stopping elections or pressuring for constitutional amendments.
President Supreme Court Bar Raja Aftab, President Central Bar Raja Zigham Iftikhar and President High Court Bar Raja Jahangir Aslam also appeared in the court.
Former Additional Secretary Farhat Ali Mir, Khawaja Manzoor Qadir and M Tanveer Chaudhry Advocate also presented their positions before the court.
The division bench of the Supreme Court reserved the decision after the arguments of all the parties were completed.
The Supreme Court has issued a directive to the President of Pakistan-administered Kashmir to inform him of its constitutional opinion.
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