ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has constituted a lager bench headed by Justice Shakirullah Jan to hear the constitutional petitions regarding the delay in appointments of judges in the higher judiciary, Geo News reported Saturday.

The larger bench comprises Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Raja Muhammed Fayyaz, Justice Jawwad Owais Khawja, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaffery.

The larger bench will hear the petitions regarding the delay in judges’ appointments on February 18 and 19.

The two-judge bench, during initial hearing of the constitutional petitions against delay in judges’ appointment, sought comprehensive reply from federal government and other parties to the case. The same two-member bench also recommended to Chief Justice of Pakistan to constitute a larger bench to hear the case.

The SC bench also called for the record of recommendations of judges’ appointments sent by the CJs of SC and the four high courts through their registrars.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has approved the bail application of Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday.

The accountability court Rawalpindi had sentenced Malik three years imprisonment in each of two cases. Interior minister had filed a petition against the decision.

A division bench headed by LHC Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif while hearing the application said the sentence awarded in absentia could not be suspended through an application filed under section 426 of criminal code.

The court has directed Rehman Malik to file a new petition under article 199 of constitution. He than filed a new petition for suspension of the punishment. The court has suspend the sentence and granted the bail on fresh application.

The court also directed Rehman Malik to submit bond of one lac each in both the cases and present two guarantors.