Five: judge bench dissolved as Justice Amin recuses himself.

New SC bench to hear case today n Justice Shahid Waheed says doctrine of estoppel bars judges from questioning constitution of bench n Justice Amin decided to recuse himself in light of Justice Isa's judgment.

ISLAMABAD: A bench of the Supreme Court sans Justice Amin ud Din will today hear the petitions against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for delay of elections in the PunAjab and Khyber PakhAtunkhwa provinces.

A five: member bench of the apex court headAed by Chief Justice of PaAkistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Amin: ud: Din Khan, and Justice JaAmal Khan MandokhaAil Thursday assembled in the Courtroom No.1 for hearing of Speakers Punjab and KP and the Pakistan Tehreek: e: InAsaf (PTI) petitions.

At the outset of hearAing, Justice Bandial said that Justice Amin wantAed to say something. Subsequently, JusAtice Amin said that in view of a judgment on suo moto power of the Chief Justice of PakiAstan, released a day ago (March 29) by a three: judge bench, of that I was member, I want to recuse from the bench.

Justice Amin had supAported the judgment, authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, while JusAtice Shahid dissented.

After the recusAal of Justice Amin, the five: member bench was dissolved and the judges retired to their chambers. At around 4:30 p.m. a court assisAtant announced in the courtroom that 'a bench without Justice Amin ud Din will hear the petitions tomorArow (Friday).'

A three: member bench, headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and comprised Justice Amin: ud: Din Khan and Justice Shahid Waheed with the majority of 2 to 1 had released the judgment on Wednesday (March 29), which said: 'Hearing of all the cases under Article 184(3) of the Constitution be deferred until the changes are made in the SuApreme Court Rules 1980 regarding the discretionary powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form benches.' Justice Amin endorsed Justice Qazi's views, while Justice Shahid dissented.

With regard to article 184(3) of the Constitution, the order said that there are three categories of cases. 'FirstAly, when a formal application seeking...