ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member larger bench to provide clarity in respect of invocation of its suo motu jurisdiction.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel on August 20, 21 had passed an order on an application seeking action against harassment of journalists in Pakistan. The two-member bench had issued notices to the federal and provincial government authorities and law officers of federation and provinces and issued directions to fix the matter for 26-08-21 before the same bench. Noting "deviation of the said directions from the established practice of the court" and in order to obtain clarity a five-judge bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, has been constituted to hear the case on 23-08-21.

The members of the bench will include Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Qazi Muhammad Ameen and Justice Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021