Islamabad: An eight-member constitutional bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan heard the petitions filed against the 26th Constitutional Amendment in the Supreme Court.
During the hearing, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s lawyer took the position that he had no objection to any judge of the bench in his personal capacity, however, this matter is of a national nature, therefore it should be heard through a full court so that transparency is maintained.
Petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Salahuddin, while giving arguments, said that every citizen has the right to access information on matters of public importance. He said that the draft of the 26th Constitutional Amendment was not shared with the public nor was there any discussion at the parliamentary level, therefore the court proceedings should be shown live to the public.
Barrister Salahuddin said that the amendment was “passed in the dark of night”, so it is important to inform the public about the facts. He added that several important cases have been broadcast live before this, including:
- Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto reference case
- Practice and Procedure case
- Monal Restaurant case
- Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui case
- F9 Park tree felling case
- Bat election symbol case
- Special seats case
Barrister Salahuddin told the court that Makhdoom Ali Khan has declared the 26th Constitutional Amendment case as “biggest case of the century”, therefore it would be appropriate for the case to be heard by a full constitutional bench or a full court.
During the hearing, Justice Naeem Afghan asked Barrister Salahuddin, “Do you want a hearing in daylight and live streaming as well?”
To this, the lawyer replied that since the amendment was “passed in the dark of night”, the facts should “come out in the open to the public in the light of day.”
The Supreme Court, after hearing the initial arguments of the parties, adjourned the hearing of the case till 11:30 am tomorrow.
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Case Title | Petitions Against 26th Constitutional Amendment |
| Bench Headed By | Justice Aminuddin Khan |
| Bench Strength | 8-member Constitutional Bench |
| Key Argument | Demand for Full Court formation and live streaming of proceedings |
| Petitioner’s Counsel | Barrister Salahuddin |
| Government Represented | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) |
| Next Hearing | Tomorrow at 11:30 AM |
