ISLAMABAD, July 24: A nine-member bench of the Supreme Court will hear the presidential reference about the Hasba Bill-2005 passed by the NWFP Assembly on Monday.

According to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has already constituted a nine-member bench to hear the presidential reference regarding advisory opinion about the Hasba Bill. The bill was passed by the NWFP Assembly on July 14.

The reference has been submitted under the Court’s Advisory Jurisdiction (Article 186 of the Constitution) for seeking opinion on the constitutionality and validity of the Hasba Bill.

The full bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Hamid Ali Mirza, Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan, Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice M. Javed Buttar and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad would hear the reference.

Earlier, on July 15 a five-member bench headed by the chief justice had admitted the reference for regular hearing and issued notices to the NWFP government through the chief secretary as well as to the secretary of the NWFP Assembly and advocates-general of all the provinces.

Attorney-General Makhdoom Ali Khan filed the reference on the direction of the president.

The NWFP government filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking adjournment of the hearing of the Hasba Bill for two weeks for preparation.

Talking to APP, SC Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain said that hearing of the bill would be held on Monday as fixed earlier.

He said: “The petition filed by the NWFP government will be presented before full bench court to decide its fate. We have already brought the matter in the notice of the chief justice.”