Supreme Court Hears Petitions Against 26th Amendment

The Supreme Court reconvened on Wednesday to continue deliberations on petitions challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

In accordance with the apex court’s directive, the hearing is being broadcast live on the Supreme Court’s official YouTube channel.

An eight-member Constitutional Bench, presided over by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and including Justice Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, is presiding over the case proceedings.

This development follows the bench’s resumption of hearings on the petitions against the constitutional adjustments on Tuesday, after a nine-month interval, during which the court permitted live streaming of the proceedings.

Numerous parties, such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), alongside various bar associations and former presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), initially contested the amendment in October 2024.

The modifications to the constitution, which are now in effect, mandate that the legislature select the chief justice, set the term length for the highest position, and establish constitutional benches.