Supreme Court Permits Live Streaming of 26th Amendment Hearing

The Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it will allow the live broadcast of the hearing regarding petitions submitted against the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

This decision follows a session by an eight-member Constitutional Bench, led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, which reconvened to consider the challenges to the constitutional adjustments after a nine-month interval.

“We must manage effectively, as we are all dedicated to serving the nation. This is a significant matter, and we will proceed with order,” Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan commented, referencing the court’s agreement to stream the hearing on the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel.

The bench also includes Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha A Malik, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, Naeem Akhter Afghan, and Shahid Bilal Hassan.

In October 2024, various parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), alongside numerous bar associations and former SCBA presidents, contested the amendment.

The constitutional changes, now in effect, mandate that the legislature selects the chief justice, determines the tenure of the chief justice, and establishes constitutional benches.

Key Aspects of the 26th Amendment

During the day’s proceedings, Shahid Jamil, representing former lawmaker Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, mentioned that objections were raised concerning their petition and requested the court to address the chamber appeal related to the issue.

Following discussions, the court instructed that the petition be assigned a number for the purpose of scheduling a hearing.

Separately, Khawaja Ahmed, representing former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, argued that debates on forming a full court bench should be streamed live to enhance public awareness.

Justice Amin-ud-Din responded that the bench composition is an internal matter of the court and not of public concern.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, in response to the argument to prioritize live streaming before addressing the bench’s composition, noted that the court aimed to inform the public via live streaming but inadvertently exposed its internal workings.

When Justice Malik inquired about the position on live streaming the case, Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman stated that the matter is an administrative concern.

After considering the arguments, the court approved live streaming of the case and adjourned the session until 11:30 am the following day (Wednesday).