SC bench dissolved as Justice Aminuddin recuses himself from hearing elections case
ISLAMABAD – A five-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan hearing a case regarding delay in elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dissolved on Thursday after Justice Aminuddin Khan rescused himself from the bench.
Originally, a bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, was hearing the petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
As today’s hearing was resumed, CJP Bandial said Justice Khan wanted to say something. Later, Justice Khan said he could not be part of the bench after his yesterday’s verdict regarding suo motu cases.
He was part of the three-member bench which on Wednesday ordered suspending proceedings on ongoing suo motu notices until rules for the procedure were made. The bench, headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, had issued the verdict on a suo motu notice taken on awarding 20 extra marks to Hafiz-e-Quran in the MBBS/BDS admissions. The verdict had been issued with 2-1 majority as Justice Shahid Waheed wrote a dissenting note, stating the verdict was issued on matters that were not raised before the court.
According to the ruling, the Constitution does not grant unilateral and arbitrary power to the chief justice to list cases for hearing and form special benches by picking judges.
