26th Amendment case: SC resumes hearing petitions challenging constitutional tweaks

The Supreme Court on Wednesday resumed hearing of petitions challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment that introduced sweeping reforms, including empowering parliament to nominate chief justice.

The hearing is being live-streamed on SC's official YouTube channel in line with the apex court's decision.

An eight-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and include Justice Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan is conducting the hearing of the case.

The development comes a day after the bench heard the petitions against the constitutional tweaks after a gap of nine months on Tuesday wherein the court allowed the live streaming of the case.

Multiple parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), as well as various bar associations and former presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), had challenged the amendment back in October 2024.

The tweaks in the constitution, which have since come into effect, require the legislature to pick the chief justice, fixing the top post's tenure, and forming constitutional benches.

26th Amendment in a glance

• Chief Justice of Pakistan's (CJP) tenure fixed at three years.
• Constitutional benches to be established at the SC and high courts.
• Senior-most judge of each bench to serve as presiding officer.
• Parliamentary committee to nominate new CJP from panel of three most senior judges.
• Committee to propose name to PM, who will then forward it to president for final approval.
• JCP, led by CJP and three others, responsible for appointment of SC judges.
• JCP to monitor judges’ performance, report any concerns to Supreme Judicial Council.
• Complete eradication of Riba (interest) from country by January 1, 2028.

This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.