ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Senior judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Friday refused to participate in the full court reference held in the honour of outgoing Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
Justice Shah informed the Supreme Court registrar about reasons for his absence through a letter.
"In the past I didn't join the full court reference of former chief justice Saqib Nisar over his misuse of power and today also I am not going to join the full court reference for the same reasons," wrote Justice Shah.
"Today the reasons of refusal are more severe. Justice Isa opened the doors of external intervention in judiciary instead of resisting it," he added.
He criticised Justice Isa's role as chief justice and wrote that he (Isa) did not show the courage to oppose "external intervention" in judiciary.
"Justice Isa provided ground to weaken the judiciary," lamented Justice Shah in the letter.
JUSTICE MANSOOR IGNORED
Supreme Court's senior-most judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah was supposed to be the chief justice before the 26th constitutional amendment but the special parliamentary committee appointed Justice Yahya Afridi, who was third on seniority list, as chief justice of Pakistan by taking advantage of the recently promulgated law.
President Asif Ali Zardari assented to name of Justice Yahya Afridi, a Supreme Court judge, as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The president made the appointment of Justice Afridi for a period of three years with effect from Oct 26, 2024, according to a President House press release.