CB hearing super tax case reconstituted

Express Tribune

10-03-2025

A constitutional bench (CB) of the apex court hearing appeals against a super tax imposed in the wake of a military operation was reconstituted on Monday after one of the bench members— Justice Aamer Farooq, who had heard the case as a high court judge—recused himself.
A five-member CB led by Justice Aminuddin Khan took up the appeals filed by various organizations and individuals against a supertax that the PML-N government had imposed in 2015 to generate funds for the accommodation of the people internally displaced due to Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
At the outset, Justice Khan noted that a bench member, Justice Aamer Farooq, had heard the case as a judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and therefore the CB would have to be reconstituted.
During the hearing, the CB rejected a request to defer the hearing till after Ramazan and stated that the case would be heard on a daily basis. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, a bench member, addressing Dr Farogh Naseem, one of the counsels of the petitioners, said the case could not conclude before Eid.
"Kindly allow those who want the case proceedings to be initiated to do so. At the very least, let the case begin," he said.
Later, the Constitutional Bench Committee replaced Justice Aamer Farooq with Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan on the bench. The Supreme Court also released the cause list for the new bench.