Pakistani Supreme Court to Hear Appeal Against Constitutional Amendments

The Pakistani Supreme Court is set to hear a petition challenging parliament's proposed constitutional amendments on October 17. Concerns have arisen over potential risks to judicial independence, with a group of attorneys led by Abid Shahid Zuberi opposing the legislation. Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa will oversee the hearing.

The Pakistani Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for October 17 to address a petition contesting the government's proposed constitutional amendments, as reported by Dawn on Saturday. These contentious amendments include an extension of the Chief Justice's tenure and have sparked widespread debate.

Experts are concerned that restricting the Supreme Court's jurisdiction to appeals or civil and criminal petitions might compromise the judiciary's independence. In September, a legal group led by former Supreme Court Bar Association President Abid Shahid Zuberi filed a petition to prevent these legislative changes from reaching parliament.

Initially, the SC registrar's office had dismissed the petition, but a supplemental cause list released today announced the hearing date. The case will be heard by Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal Hassan, under the leadership of Pakistan's Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, according to the Dawn's report.

(With inputs from agencies.)