September 16, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 18, 1424

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MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 15: AJK High Court Chief Justice Syed Manzoor Hussain Gillani here on Monday constituted a full bench to determine the admissibility of a constitutional petition filed by leader of the opposition in the AJK Assembly Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry.

In his short order, announced here, the chief justice said that the full bench had been constituted in view of the importance of the constitutional points raised in the petition and would meet here on Sept 29.

The petition was filed by the leader of the opposition on July 17, challenging AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Sardar Siab Khalid’s decision to reject a reference against AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, describing it as being an “ultra-constitutional step.”

Mr Chaudhry had maintained that the speaker had no authority to reject the reference, adding that he was bound under Section 25(2)(A) of the Constitution to forward the same to the Chief Election Commissioner.

The reference was submitted before the speaker on June 19, seeking Sardar Sikandar’s disqualification for allegedly supporting Kashmir’s division through implementation of “Chenab formula.”

However, the speaker had declared the reference as “untenable.”