ISLAMABAD: Newly-posted Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Saturday reconstituted the Practice and Procedure Committee by including Justice Munib Akhtar.
According to a notification issued by the Supreme Court Registrar, the Practice and Procedure Committee the three judges committee, led by chief Justice Yahya Afridi, and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar, would constitute benches to hear different cases.
Outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa had removed Justice Munib Akhtar from the committee and replaced him with Justice Aminuddin Khan.
It is to be noted that Justice Aminuddin Khan stands the fifth on the seniority list of the SC judges.
The reshuffle came in the wake of the Practice and Procedure Ordinance 2024, which was signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Act provided that the chief justice of Pakistan will constitute a three-member committee “comprising the Chief Justice of Pakistan and two senior most Judges” to hear “every cause, appeal or matter before the Supreme Court.”
This marks a shift from Justice Isa’s approach, which had led to controversy when he removed Justice Akhtar, reportedly due to differences in the interpretation of judicial powers and procedural roles. Following Akhtar’s removal, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah declined to participate in the committee, leading to further division within the judiciary.
