Islamabad (Web Desk): The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Tuesday named Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan as the head of the newly established constitutional bench in the Supreme Court (SC).
The decision, made during a session led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, was reached with a 7-5 vote in favour of forming the bench.
According to sources the bench will operate for an initial term of 60 days.
In addition to Justice Khan, the bench will include Justices Ayesha Malik, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Athar Minallah, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Jamal Khan Mandokhail. Justice Ayesha Malik will represent Punjab, while Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Jamal Khan Mandokhail will represent Balochistan, ensuring a diverse provincial representation.
The meeting that resulted in the formation of the constitutional bench was attended by key judicial and political figures, including senior puisne judge Justice Shah and Justice Akhtar, as well as lawmakers such as Senator Farooq H. Naek, MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, MNA Omar Ayub, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan. The Pakistan Bar Council was represented by Akhtar Hussain.
The establishment of constitutional benches follows a significant change brought about by an amendment to Article 191-A, which now mandates the creation of these benches in the Supreme Court.
The revised article specifies that these benches will consist of an equal number of judges from each province, thereby ensuring representation from all regions of the country.
The constitutional bench will hear matters related to the court's original, appellate, and advisory jurisdictions.
This move is part of the broader set of reforms introduced by the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment, which was passed by the National Assembly on October 21 with overwhelming support from the ruling coalition.
The amendment not only alters the procedure for appointing the Chief Justice of Pakistan but also facilitates the creation of these constitutional benches.
With the passage of the 26th Amendment, the JCP now consists of 13 members, and it holds responsibility for making appointments to the Supreme Court, High Courts, and the Federal Shariat Court (FSC).