Supreme Court expands Constitutional Bench with five new judges

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has expanded its constitutional bench by adding five more judges, increasing its total strength to 13.

This decision follows the approval of the new appointments, which aim to enhance the bench's capacity to address complex constitutional matters, as reported by Express News.

The newly appointed judges are Justice Hashim Kakar, Justice Amir Farooq, Justice Shakil Ahmad, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar.

The expansion is expected to improve the Court’s efficiency in handling urgent constitutional issues.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, had previously appointed Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan as the head of the constitutional bench. The formation of the bench followed a 7-5 split decision by the JCP.

The bench, which will function for 60 days, also includes Justices Ayesha Malik, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Athar Minallah, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Jamal Khan Mandokhail. Justice Malik represents Punjab, while Justices Afghan and Mandokhail represent Balochistan.

The formation of constitutional benches was made possible by an amendment to Article 191-A, which ensures equal provincial representation.

These benches will address matters within the Supreme Court's original, appellate, and advisory jurisdictions.

The 26th Constitutional Amendment, which was passed in October, also altered the selection process for the Chief Justice of Pakistan.