ISLAMABAD – Two senior judges of Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar urged Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to convene full court bench hearing for the case challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
In joint letter, the senior judges of the country’s top court mentioned efforts to convene a committee meeting on October 31 to discuss the matter. After no response to convene the meeting, the two justices, acting under Section 2, called the meeting themselves and committee subsequently decided to hear the case before a full court bench on November 4.
No cause list was issued, and two judges said that the Registrar’s office was informed of decision, and its implementation is mandatory. They expressed deep regret that the full court hearing has not been scheduled, reiterating that the committee’s decision remains in effect and must be acted upon.
The letter also instructed apex court’s Registrar to publish the meeting minutes of October 31 on the website. The 26th Constitutional Amendment is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court by six lawyers, including a former president of the Supreme Court Bar.
The petitioners argue that the amendment violates fundamental rights and the basic structure of the constitution, claiming that votes were coerced from parliamentarians and questioning the legitimacy of the parliament itself.
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