Supreme Court Justice Salahuddin Panhwar Recuses Himself from Reserved Seats Case Hearing

ISLAMABAD — In a significant judicial development, Supreme Court Justice Salahuddin Panhwar has recused himself from the Constitutional Bench hearing the review plea concerning reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies.

The case involves review petitions filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against last year’s July 12 ruling. That ruling had affirmed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) entitlement to reserved seats for women and minorities, which, if enforced, would substantially strengthen PTI’s parliamentary position. However, implementation has been stalled amid objections and delays.

Justice Panhwar cited objections raised by PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawyer Hamid Khan against certain judges included in the bench under the 26th Constitutional Amendment as his reason for recusal. He emphasized that the judiciary must maintain public trust and avoid any perception of bias.

Despite a longstanding personal association with Khan, Justice Panhwar expressed feeling “hurt” by the allegations but maintained the focus must be on judicial impartiality rather than personal feelings.

The hearing witnessed tensions between the bench and Hamid Khan, with Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail criticizing Khan’s conduct and clarifying that the court had extended him respect by allowing his arguments despite questions over his entitlement to represent the case.

After a brief adjournment, the hearing resumed with a 10-member bench.

The 26th Constitutional Amendment, passed last October, expanded the number of judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts to address case backlogs, but it has also sparked controversy over “court packing” allegations in this case.