ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday formed a new larger bench to hear the review petition concerning the interpretation of Article 63-A of Pakistan’s Constitution.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Practice and Procedure Committee, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
CJP Isa and Justice Ameenuddin Khan were awaiting Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who neither attended nor provided notice of his absence, sources reported.
As a result, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan was added to the five-member bench following the withdrawal of Justice Munib Akhtar.
The newly formed bench will be headed by CJP Qazi Faez Isa and includes Justices Ameenuddin, Jamal Mandokhel, Mazhar Alam Miankhail, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
This restructuring occurred after Justice Munib Akhtar excused himself from the proceedings.
Justice Munib had earlier sent a letter to the Court Registrar, stating that he could not join the five-member bench, citing concerns over the appropriateness of a four-judge panel hearing the case. His second letter led to the adjournment of the hearing, where he expressed discomfort with being part of a bench formed by the Practice and Procedure Committee, despite not formally recusing himself.
The Supreme Court’s hearing holds significant importance, as it deals with the interpretation of Article 63-A, which pertains to the disqualification of lawmakers for defection.
