Suo motu — a distorted instrument rendered unrecognisable in Pakistan

Earlier this week, a new bill was introduced in the National Assembly, almost a year after the last amendment, seeking changes to the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers. The bill demands that at least nine judges should take the decision to exercise the power — only a matter of time before a full bench has to be convened.

The problem is a layered one — though very linear in the most obvious sense.

By virtue of Pakistan being premised on the grandiose notion of constitutional supremacy...