ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 3rd Sep, 2026) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notices to the federation, Secretaries of the National Assembly and Senate, Secretary Ministry of Law and other respondents on a petition challenging legislation through which the appellate jurisdiction in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases has been transferred from the Supreme Court to the Federal Constitutional Court.
The court also issued a notice to the Attorney General for Pakistan to assist it in the matter as the legislation enacted by Parliament has been challenged. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition filed by the Judicial Activism Forum.
During the proceedings, counsel for the petitioner Azhar Siddique contended that the constitutional jurisdiction of the Supreme Court could not be taken away through ordinary legislation. The court asked the counsel on what grounds the law had been challenged.
The counsel submitted that under Article 185 of the Constitution, appeals in NAB cases after a High Court judgment lied before the Supreme Court, whereas the Federal Constitutional Court had been established under Article 175F to deal with constitutional matters.
He argued that through ordinary legislation, criminal appeals arising from NAB cases had now also been assigned to the Federal Constitutional Court.
The counsel further submitted that a recent Supreme Court judgment did not state in any paragraph that Section 32-A had been challenged before it. He maintained that the provision had not been challenged before the Supreme Court.
According to the counsel, the Supreme Court was the appellate forum in NAB cases after the High Court and its jurisdiction could not be taken away through the NAB amendment introducing Section 32-A. The IHC issued notices to the respondents and sought their replies by the last week of September.
