ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a new set of Practice and Procedure Rules for the year 2025, following approval by the Court’s Practice and Procedure Committee. The updated framework, is now officially in effect under the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, 2023.
The rules were finalized during a committee meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi. The committee also includes Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Aminuddin Khan as members.
According to the official notification, the Chief Justice is authorized to convene committee meetings either in person or virtually. A quorum of at least two members is required for any meeting to proceed.
Under the new rules, the formation of Supreme Court benches will occur either monthly or every 15 days. Once a bench is constituted, it cannot be altered unless explicitly allowed by the procedure. Furthermore, any changes in the committee’s chairmanship or membership will not affect the validity of already constituted benches.
In cases where the Chief Justice is unavailable or out of the country, a special committee may be constituted. This committee will have the authority to make necessary adjustments to bench compositions in the event of a judge’s illness, absence, resignation, or death.
The rules also stipulate that any emergency decisions must be documented in writing, including the reasons behind such decisions. These must be presented at the next committee meeting. The Supreme Court registrar has been assigned the responsibility of maintaining complete records of all meetings, decisions, and rule amendments.
Notably, the new framework grants the committee ongoing authority to modify these rules as needed. While in effect, the 2025 Practice and Procedure Rules will take precedence over all prior procedural regulations of the Supreme Court.
Recent Judicial Decision
Separately, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench recently dismissed a petition filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking allocation of reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies based on its general seat victories.
The bench issued a short order after 17 rounds of hearings, overturning an earlier Supreme Court decision and upholding a Peshawar High Court ruling that the reserved seats be distributed among other eligible parties.
During the final hearing, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself from the case, stating he wished to revisit his earlier brief verdict before stepping down.
