ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s seven-member constitutional bench on Monday commenced hearing pending cases before the apex court.
The bench, led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, includes Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Musarrat Hilali.
The constitutional bench’s proceedings today will include a petition challenging the validity of Articles 41 to 45, 50 to 61, 90 to 94, and 106 of the Constitution.
Advocate Najm-uz-Zaman Subhani filed the petition seeking to nullify these articles.
The bench will also preside over a petition requesting that candidates securing over 50% of the votes be declared successful, submitted by Advocate Chaudhry Akram, who has sought directives for the Election Commission of Pakistan on the said matter.
Additionally, the court will also hear a petition seeking to make it mandatory making it mandatory for independent candidates to join a political party after winning.
Scheduled hearings
On November 20, the proceedings will include a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging Sections 74 and 75 of the Sindh Local Government Act 2013, along with Section 18 of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979.
Another case involves a petition by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui against the conduct and results of the 2017 Population and Housing Census.
The bench will also address suo motu notices on the transfer of the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) on political grounds and the supply of drugs in educational institutions.
Moreover, the bench will hear Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan’s petition regarding judges’ seniority in the Lahore High Court, and a case opposing the designation of the Sunni Ittehad Council as a parliamentary party.
The bench, on November 21, will hear a constitutional petition against child trafficking and abduction, alongside a challenge to the constitutionality of the commission established on audio leaks, filed by former Supreme Court Bar’s Abid Zuberi.
It will also address a suo motu notice on the poor condition of public schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Hamza Shahbaz’s petition against PTI’s Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
Furthermore, a case regarding the disqualification of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, filed by Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, and a petition regulating the powers of high court chief justices will also be heard.
On November 22, the bench will take up a constitutional petition concerning the alarming state of forests across Pakistan and a case regarding the utilisation of foreign aid during the 2005 earthquake.
It will also hear petitions challenging appointments in the Sindh High Court and judiciary as unlawful and regarding the implementation of right-to-information laws.
