SC bench in review of reserved seat case dissolves as Justice Panhwar steps aside

ISLAMABAD: At the beginning of the hearing, the Supreme Court bench broke up after Justice Salah-ud-Din Panhwar recused himself from further hearing of the review of reserved seats case, according to media reports.

Justice Salahuddin Panhor said that public trust in the judiciary is necessary, and it is important that no party should object to the bench.

He said that Hamid Khan objected to the inclusion of some judges in the bench. I am also among those judges whose inclusion in the bench was objected to after the 26th Amendment. I cannot sit on the bench anymore for these reasons. I want to read my short decision.

Moreover, Justice Salahuddin told lawyer Hamid Khan that your objection was to sitting on this bench, personally, you have been with me since 2010, I was personally hurt by your arguments, but this is not a matter of my own.

He further added that the judges were accused of bias, which caused pain, and it is not right for the public to have the impression that the judge is biased.

On this occasion, lawyer Hamid Khan said that I welcome your initiative, to which Justice Aminuddin said that this is not a matter of welcoming, we are hearing another lawyer from the Sunni Ittehad Council in the same case.

While talking to lawyer Hamid Khan, Justice Jamal Mandokhel said that all this happened because of your conduct, we gave you a chance, considering you were not entitled to give arguments in this case.

Later, the court took a 10-minute break in the hearing of the case.