As the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench resumed hearing review petitions in the reserved seats case, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself from the bench following objections from senior counsel Hamid Khan. In its July 12, 2024 short order, eight out of 13 judges ruled that 39 out of a list of 80 MNAs were and are the returned candidates of the PTI, setting it to emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly. 

However, the ruling had not been implemented by the National Assembly, while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had raised some objections. The review petitions against the SC order had been filed by the PML-N, the PPP and the ECP.An 11-member bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan resumed the hearing today. Justice Panhwar noted that Hamid Khan, counsel for the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), had yesterday raised objections to the bench. 

“Hamid Khan raised objections to the inclusion of judges in the bench who came to the Supreme Court after the 26th Amendment in the bench,” Justice Panhwar said, noting that he is one of the judges included in the objection. “Public trust in the judiciary is essential,” Panhwar stated. “It is essential that no party has any objection to the bench,” he said. “It is because of these objections that I cannot sit on this bench.”The judge told Khan that although he was hurt by his remarks — having worked together since 2010 — this was not a personal matter.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)