The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has created a new seven-member constitutional bench led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, as part of the controversial 26th Amendment.
In an official announcement, the majority of the JCP members, in a vote of 7-5, agreed to form this bench. However, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and several senior judges, along with opposition members Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, were against the decision.
This constitutional bench includes judges from different provinces: Justice Amin-ud-Din and Justice Ayesha Malik from Punjab, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi from Sindh, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan from Balochistan, and Justice Musarrat Hilali from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After being appointed, the chief justice held the first meeting of the bench regarding the new rules under the 26th Amendment. The meeting was attended by several key judges and political figures.
During the meeting, Omar Ayub raised an issue about not having enough members present but the majority decided that the meeting could still go on.
The commission also talked about setting up a special secretariat to help with its work, allowing the chairman (CJP) to start creating rules for this.
According to the 26th Amendment, the JCP consists of 13 members who are in charge of appointing judges to the Supreme Court, high courts, and the Federal Shariat Court. This amendment also states that the JCP will be led by the Chief Justice and will include two senators, two members of the National Assembly, and other senior judges and legal representatives. It also requires that a woman or a non-Muslim member of parliament be nominated to the committee.
