ISLAMABAD, April 27: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Friday filed yet another application in the Supreme Court pleading to decide his request to stay the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) proceedings hearing a presidential reference against him on May 2.

In his application, the chief justice pleaded before the court to fix the stay matter before a bench on April 30 or on May 2 in the chamber of Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas. The SJC will resume hearing on May 2.

On Thursday, the chief justice had requested the Supreme Court to constitute a full court and hear from next week his petition against President Pervez Musharraf’s move to file a reference against him on a day to day basis.

In his fresh application, the petitioner contended that the composition of the SJC had already been challenged before the Supreme Court and as such the court should adjudicate on the stay matter before the commencement of the council proceedings.

The government filed a counter-application before the court pleading that the fixing a matter for a particular date and the constitution of a bench to hear a particular case was the sole prerogative of the chief justice.