Entertainment
Constitutional matters to be only heard by CB, says Justice Mazhar
- “Full court” term is not mentioned in Article 191-A: Justice Mazhar.
- Adds CJ has “no authority” in full court-related matters anymore.
- Specific judges cannot be included in full court: Justice Mandokhail
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar on Monday remarked that constitutional matters “will only be heard by the constitutional bench”.
Justice Mazhar passed these remarks as the SC constitutional bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din, heard several petitions filed against the 26th Constitutional Amendment passed by parliament in October 2024.
Other members of the bench include Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan.
“Whether one likes it or not, the term full court is not mentioned in Article 191-A. Constitutional matters will only be heard by the constitutional bench.”
Justice Mazhar added that the petitioners want the chief justice to refer the matter to a full court, adding that, “under Article 191-A, the chief Justice no longer has that authority [to do so].”
Inquiring the counsel representing one of the petitioners, Justice Mazhar remarked that some parties suggested the exclusion of judges from the full court appointed after the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
“The judges you wish to include in the full court are indeed judges but not part of the constitutional bench,” he remarked.
During the hearing, Justice Jamal Mandokhail observed that a full court cannot mean a bench made up of specific judges. “You can only request a full court,” he told Advocate Abid Zuberi.
Justice Mandokhail said that if judges appointed before the 26th Amendment are to be included, some other judges would have to be left out.
Advocate Zuberi clarified that he is not suggesting the removal of any judges from the Supreme Court.
Justice Mandokhail then asked, “If the Judicial Commission declares that all Supreme Court judges are part of the constitutional bench, would you accept that?” To which Advocate Zuberi replied, “Yes, absolutely — we would accept it.”
The proceedings of the case were streamed live as per the earlier decision of the apex court. The court, after hearing the arguments, adjourned the hearing till tomorrow (Tuesday).
It is to be noted here that multiple political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), as well as various bar associations and former presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), had challenged the amendment back in October 2024.
The tweaks in the constitution, which have since come into effect, require the legislature to pick the chief justice, fixing the top post’s tenure, and forming constitutional benches.
Key points of 26th Amendment
- Chief Justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) tenure fixed at three years.
- Constitutional benches to be established at the SC and high courts.
- Senior-most judge of each bench to serve as presiding officer.
- Parliamentary committee to nominate new CJP from panel of three most senior judges.
- Committee to propose name to PM, who will then forward it to president for final approval.
- JCP, led by CJP and three others, responsible for appointment of SC judges.
- JCP to monitor judges’ performance, report any concerns to Supreme Judicial Council.
- Complete eradication of Riba (interest) from country by January 1, 2028.
Paul Hardcastle is heartbroken after the death of his son Paul Jr in a motorcycle accident.
The 68-year-old musician, who is best known for his 1985 hit 19, revealed that he talked to his 35-year-old son just minutes before the crash.
Paul shared in an emotional Instagram video, “He went like, ‘I’ll get back to you in five minutes.’ He didn’t get back to me in five minutes.”
The Soft Rain singnger described the moment as “police came to his home to deliver the tragic news,” saying that the officers were kind but hearing that his son has died was very overwhelming.
He also warned others about risky decisions, saying that some choices can change your life in instantly.
Paul Jr followed his father’s footsteps, playing the saxophone and DJing.
Paul first shared the news on Instagram with a childhood photo of his son, writing, “Just to let you know that my super talented son Paul Hardcastle Jnr was in a fatal motorcycle accident earlier and has sadly died. RIP son love Dad.”
Paul Hardcastle, however, called his son “lovely” and said losing him was heartbreaking.
Priscilla Presley has shared her memories of life with Elvis Presley, talking about the happy moments and the struggles they faced together.
The King of Rock and Roll died in 1977 at the age of 42 but Priscilla still believes tht he would still be performing if he were alive today.
She told HELLO! Magazine, “I think he’d be doing the same thing in life – singing and touring. He loved it.”
The star’s new memoir talks about the life they shared, a process that she said was not easy at all.
It took her over 11 months to finish, and she recalled both the wonderful and difficult times.
“You remember a lot of things, and it was a good thing, to be honest. A lot of remembering wonderful times and difficult times and you’re reliving your life,” she explained.
Priscilla and Elvis were married from 1967 to 1973 but stayed close after their divorce.
However, the Dallas actress made sure that their daughter Lisa Marie Presley spent a lot of time with him at Graceland and she was used to take her to see his shows.
Even after everything, she said they cared for each other, “We still cared for each other, he was fun to be with.”
For the unversed, the memoir, Softly, As I Leave You Life After Elvis, gave fans a personal and emotional look at their lives.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday, January 17, that he’s going to sue JPMorgan Chase within the “next two weeks.”
This move escalates a long-running feud with the nation’s largest bank over the closure of his accounts following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump accused the bank of “incorrectly and inappropriately debanking” him.
Earlier, he claimed that the bank gave him just 20 days to move hundreds of millions of dollars under pressure from the Biden administration.
Countering this narrative, JP Morgan has consistently denied all such accusations.
With this lawsuit, there’s a major deterioration in the U.S. President’s relationship with the bank and its CEO, Jamie Dimon.
During the 2024 campaign, Dimon was floated as a potential Treasury secretary pick, but tensions have since soared.
The president has repeatedly lashed out at Dimon for criticising the Justice Department’s criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and for opposing Trump’s proposal to cap credit-card interest rates.
Trump also denied a Wall Street Journal report that had offered Dimon the position of Fed chair, writing: “This statement is totally untrue; there was never such an offer.”
Bloomberg earlier this week asked Dimon if he would take the role to which Dimon responded: “Absolutely, positively no chance, no way, no how, for any reason.”
The planned suit is similar to one the Trump Organisation filed against Capital One earlier in 2025, alleging improper account restrictions.
The planned suit against JPMorgan follows a similar legal action the Trump Organisation filed against Capital One earlier in 2025, alleging improper account restrictions. The president’s move reinforces his broader narrative that financial institutions have systematically “debanked” him and his supporters for political reasons since he left office.
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