The IHC bigger bench nullifies the July 21 order in the Aafia Siddiqui case.

A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court has rendered a pivotal verdict in the Aafia Siddiqui case, asserting that only the chief judge possesses the jurisdiction to form benches.

The court determined that pursuant to Article 202 of the Constitution and the High Court Rules, the chief judge serves as the “master of the roster” and had exclusive authority to constitute benches. The ruling determined that the July 21, 2025 order in Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui’s case exceeded legal jurisdiction, as the presiding judge was not included in the sanctioned list at that time.

The larger bench deemed the July 21, 2025 order null and void, asserting that judicial authority is not vested in an individual judge but can only be used by a legally constituted bench established under the sanctioned roster.

The ruling additionally asserted that no judge or panel may allocate a case to themselves, nor may any judge adjudicate a case outside the sanctioned roster. Any commands issued in contravention of the roster would possess no legal validity.

The court noted that the chief justice possesses the power to aggregate matters and reassign them to any bench. Adherence to High Court regulations is obligatory for all judges and judicial officials.

The larger bench consisted of Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Inam Amin Minhas, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro.

Previously, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan conveyed discontent with the federal government’s endeavors to facilitate the repatriation of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and issued show-cause notices for contempt of court to the relevant authorities.