ISLAMABAD : While accepting much awaited identical pleas for regular hearing–prayed for top court’s finding to determine legality of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, an eight-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court sought the federation response in the matter. A Bench of Justice Aminud Din Khan, comprising Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarat Hilali, Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal also issued notices for reply to respondents in response to a plea seeking full court formation amid live transmission of the court proceedings in this case. At the outset of proceedings on Monday, advocates Hamid Khan and Faisal Siddiqui came to the rostrum and requested to form a full court to hear the case. To which one of the members of the Bench oJustice Mandokhail observed saying Judicial Commission nominates judges in the Constitutional Bench. All the judges nominated by the Commission have been part of this bench. He further said that the Commission nominates judges, while a three-member committee fixes cases. “A full court cannot be formed on your whim,” Justice Mandokhail added. Justice Mazhar informed the counsels to consider this bench as a full court. However, they argued that a full court comprising all the Supreme Court judges be formed. TLTP
