16th amendment verdict: Hearing on review petition underway

The Supreme Court has started the hearing on the review petition against the Appellate Division's verdict that declared the 16th amendment to the constitution illegal.

The hearing started at 9:20am at the six-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed.

On August 15, the Appellate Division announced it would reconsider the verdict that scrapped the 16th amendment. The hearing on the state’s review petition was scheduled for the last week of October.

The 16th amendment, made on September 17 in 2014, had abolished the Chief Justice led Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and restored parliament’s power to remove the judges. But some Supreme Court Lawyers challenged the decision November 5, 2014.