Supreme Court Declines to Receive Petition Citing Jurisdiction Issues
The Supreme Court’s diary branch on Thursday raised objections to a petition filed by four judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the recently approved 27th Constitutional Amendment. According to sources, the diary branch refused to accept the plea, stating that the matter did not fall under the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction. Officials remarked that the issue was strictly constitutional, and therefore the petition could not be entertained at the initial stage.
The four IHC judges — Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Suman Rifaat, and Justice Ijaz Ishaq — had collectively decided to move the Supreme Court against the amendment. Their petition sought judicial review of provisions introduced through the new legislation. However, the objection from the registry has delayed the filing process and may require the judges to reframe or refile their plea under the correct constitutional provisions.
27th Amendment Passed Amid Political Tension and Opposition Protests
The 27th Constitutional Amendment was recently passed by Pakistan’s National Assembly with a two-thirds majority. The opposition strongly protested the move and staged a walkout during the voting process, terming the amendment controversial and harmful to institutional balance. After approval in the lower house, the bill was returned to the Senate for endorsement of additional clauses incorporated later. The upper house subsequently passed the amendment as well.
Following Senate approval, the legislation was forwarded to the President, who signed the bill into law. The amendment is now officially part of the Constitution. The challenge by the IHC judges marks one of the first major legal objections to the new amendment since its passage.
Legal experts say the Supreme Court may still hear the matter if the petition is filed under the appropriate constitutional jurisdiction, such as Article 184(3). For now, the case remains pending due to procedural objections raised by the SC diary branch.
