ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui on Friday formed a Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court to hear appeals against different Federal Shariat Court decisions.

The five-member appellate bench will comprise three justices of the apex court and two ulema as members, namely Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Dr Allama Khalid Mahmood and Justice Dr Rashid Ahmed Jullandhari. The bench will initiate proceedings from Oct 4.

A number of important appeals have been filed before the bench. One of the appeals which the bench would hear on Oct 8 is against the Provident Fund Act in which the interest accrued on the government employees' provident fund has been challenged for being against the provisions of Islam.

Similarly, a Shariat petition of Habibul Wahabul Khairi is also pending against the Federation of Pakistan regarding the provincial government's powers to remit or commute the sentence or punishment awarded by a court of law.