Islamabad, January 24, 2025: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has announced special arrangements for the hearing of the 26th Constitutional Amendment case, scheduled for January 27.
According to a statement issued by the SC, the hearing will take place in Court Room No. 2 under enhanced security protocols to ensure the safety of all attendees. To manage the limited seating capacity, special passes will be issued to authorized individuals, including lawyers and journalists. “Only those with valid passes will be allowed to enter the courtroom,” the SC statement confirmed.
For those without passes, alternative arrangements have been made. Audio facilities will be available in Court Rooms No. 6 and 7. Furthermore, the use of mobile phones within the courtroom will be strictly prohibited.
The SC’s Constitutional Bench will hear multiple petitions challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment and seeking to have it annulled. The bench is headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and includes Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Musarrat Hilali.
The petitioners have raised concerns about the validity of the constitutional amendment process. They argue that revisions requiring votes from members whose elections are still under dispute should not count toward the threshold under Article 239 of the Constitution. Based on this claim, they are requesting the court to declare the 26th Amendment unconstitutional due to procedural impropriety.
The petitions name several respondents, including the Federation of Pakistan, the Government of Sindh, the Chairman Senate, the Speaker National Assembly, and the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The 26th Amendment, passed by Parliament on the night of January 20-21, introduces significant changes to judicial appointments. The term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan is now fixed at three years. A 12-member parliamentary committee will be responsible for selecting the new Chief Justice from a panel of the three most senior judges.
