ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: The Supreme Court has constituted a larger bench to settle a legal battle between two powerful groups of lawyers over the prestigious post of president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, the bench includes Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed, and Justice Syed Jamshed Ali. The bench will start hearing an appeal by Muneer Malik against assumption of the SCBA office by his rival Raja Haq Nawaz following an order of the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court.

At the last hearing, the apex court had served notices on respondents, the Pakistan Bar Council, ex-SCBA president and returning officer Malik Muhammad Qayyum and Mr Nawaz.

Senior lawyer Abdul Hafeez Pirzada is representing the petitioner.