ISLAMABAD: The first-ever six-member constitutional bench began hearing cases on Thursday (today), taking up an environment-related case that has been pending since 1993.
According to the cause list issued on Wednesday, the newly-formed constitutional bench, led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, would hear about 18 constitutional cases on November 14 and 16 cases on November 15, pending in the Supreme Court for years.
The six-judge bench was formed given the unavailability of the seventh judge, Justice Ayesha A Malik. Earlier on November 5, the seven-member bench was formed by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) following the enactment of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
The constitutional bench will hear the first three cases related to environmental pollution and human rights as well as a review petition against the dismissal of a case challenging the appointment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa as Balochistan High Court chief justice.
The bench will also take up a plea seeking a rescheduling of the 2024 elections as it was prayed before the court that the elections should be held between February and March.
Similarly, the constitutional bench will also resume the 2007 hearing of a public petition against pollution caused by industrial units in Islamabad’s Sectors I-9 and I-10. The petitions mentioned that the residents of I-9 and I-10 have been facing asthma, respiratory infections, allergies, and heart ailments since the establishment of industrial units, especially steel furnaces and marble units, in the Federal Capital Industrial Estate.
