SC forms a larger, six regular benches for next week

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has constituted a larger bench and five regular benches at the principal seat Islamabad and one bench at SC Lahore Registry to hear a number of important cases during the next week, starting from Monday.

On Monday, a five-member larger bench headed by the CJP and comprising Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi will hear the reference filed by President Dr Arif Alvi under Article 186 of the Constitution of Pakistan regarding elections for the members of the Senate of Pakistan.

The first bench is comprised of Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi while the second bench is comprised of Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi. From Tuesday, the bench three would comprise of Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar. On Monday, the bench three would comprise of Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Munib Akhtar.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan will be members of the fourth bench, while the fifth bench will consist of Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah will hear cases at SC Lahore Registry.

The benches will hear many important cases including service and pension matters of government employees, educational institutions matters, labour cases, appeals against death sentences and life imprisonment, appeals against acquittal of accused in murder and corruption cases, bail appeals in NAB cases, election petitions of different politicians, post arrest bail plea of Muhammad Javed Akhtar Chaudhry Secretary Union Council ICT allegedly involved in embezzlement and misappropriation of funds and recruitment of ghost employees, appeals filed by the Sindh government and slain American Journalist Daniel Pearl’s parents challenging the acquittal of the previously convicted men by the Sindh High Court (SHC), post-arrest bail plea of Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, post-arrest bail plea of Fazal Dad Abbasi allegedly involved in aiding, abetting and facilitating their co-accused including Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif etc by way of providing channel/services for laundering money by arranging false and fictitious entries of foreign remittances sent by various individuals to accused Hamza Shahbaz Shahirf, Suleman Shahbaz Sharif and post-arrest bail plea of Danish accused in his own capacities, misused his authorities; conducted fake elections of Managing Committee of the Society, issued fake audit report and illegally registered sub-leases of 47 residential plots and thus aided and abated co-accused to usurp land of the Society.

According to cause lists, no adjournment on any ground will be granted and no application for adjournment through fax will be placed before the court.

Furthermore, if the counsel is unable to appear for any reason, the advocate-on-record will be required to argue the case.