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Pakistan Supreme Court Weighs Full-Court Bid as Bench Debates Its Power Over 26th Amendment

The justices must first decide which forum has jurisdiction under Article 191‑A before they can assess the amendment itself.

Overview

  • An eight-member Constitutional Bench led by Justice Amin‑ud‑Din Khan continued hearings on challenges to the 26th Amendment and adjourned the case to Wednesday without a ruling.
  • Petitioners including PTI, JI, the SIC, multiple bar associations, and senior counsel Akram Sheikh pressed for a full court, arguing a bench created by the amendment cannot judge its own validity.
  • Several judges questioned whether a full court could sit without conflicts of interest, while Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said constitutional matters now lie with the Constitutional Bench under Article 191‑A.
  • Justice Mazhar noted that powers under Article 184(3) were transferred to the Constitutional Bench and described regular and constitutional benches as “branches of one tree.”
  • Citing India’s model, the bench contrasted the “Master of the Roster” there with Pakistan’s committee-based case allocation, and proceedings continue to be live-streamed on the court’s YouTube channel.