ISLAMABAD: The Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court will hear appeals regarding the declaration of Pakistan’s electoral system as un-Islamic on December 5. A five-member bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, is scheduled to hear the case next Friday.
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The petition challenging the country’s electoral system was originally filed 36 years ago. The government had filed appeals against the Shariat Court’s decision back in 1989. The matter has remained pending for decades, with the appellate bench only recently constituted after approximately 15 months.
Earlier, in August 2024, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, while hearing the government’s appeal in the Supreme Court, had directed the government lawyer to review the election act and report the official stance of the government.
انتخابی نظام شریعت کیخلاف قرار دینے کا مقدمہ سپریم کورٹ میں سماعت کیلئے مقرر کر دیا گیا… 1989 میں آج سے 36 سال قبل حکومت نے شریعت کورٹ کے فیصلے کیخلاف اپیلیں دائر کی تھیں… شریعت اپیلیٹ بنچ ایک سال سے زائد عرصہ گزرنے کے بعد تشکیل دیا گیا ہے pic.twitter.com/CDP83yvlc4
— Zulqarnain Iqbal (@zulspeaks) November 29, 2025
During the proceedings, the Additional Attorney General had requested time from the court to seek instructions from the government regarding its position on the electoral system. Following this, the Shariat Appellate Bench was formally constituted after August 2024 to hear the pending appeals.
The upcoming hearing is expected to revisit decades-old arguments on whether the current electoral framework aligns with Islamic principles. Legal experts say the case holds significant implications for Pakistan’s democratic processes and the interpretation of Islamic law in governance.
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Observers note that the lengthy duration of the appeals reflects the complexity of balancing constitutional law, electoral governance, and Sharia provisions. The bench’s verdict could potentially influence reforms in the country’s election framework.