ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The most senior judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, excused himself from a special bench to hear tax case.
Justice Shah wrote a letter to Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa as head of the Practice and Procedure Committee on Wednesday.
He said he had written earlier that he would not be a part of special benches until the full court sits on the amendment ordinance.
He wrote that “people are watching our actions and history will never forgive [us].”
It may be recalled that the tax review case was heard on October 4 by a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Isa. Justice Shah and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan were the members of the bench.
Justice Shah had written a dissenting note in the case and it was decided to include him in the bench to hear the review petition.
It should be noted that Justice Shah had also expressed reservations about the Practice and Procedure amendment ordinance and left without the Practice and Procedure Committee meeting.
Justice Shah explained the reason for refusing to join the committee in a letter to the Judges Committee and observed that the Practice and Procedure Ordinance was brought in haste. It was notified within a few hours of its implementation. The Judges Committee was reconstituted and no reason was given as to why the second most senior judge, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, was removed from the committee.