Justice Mansoor Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar dissent from full court formation minutes in letter to CJP
Pakistan
Justice Mansoor, Justice Muneeb raise concerns over case handling
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Supreme Court’s senior Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar have written a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, formally expressing disagreement with the minutes of a committee meeting over full court formation.
In the letter, both judges stated that as members of the committee, they had agreed on constituting a full court to hear the case concerning the 26th Constitutional Amendment. However, they noted that the case was never scheduled for hearing, which they say violated the committee’s collective decision.
The judges recalled that on October 31, 2024, the committee had finalized the full court decision, and they followed up with another letter on November 4 when the case was still not listed.
Also read: Two SC judges write to CJP for full court bench on 26th constitutional amendment
They also criticised the handling of internal communication, stating that two notes written by the Chief Justice were never shared with them. One of those notes, they claim, was read out at a Judicial Commission meeting — a forum they argue was not authorized to deliberate on the matter.
Furthermore, the judges highlighted that the committee minutes claimed the issue of bench formation had been referred to a “constitutional bench” and “constitutional committee,” though neither existed at the time.
The letter reflects growing internal friction within the Supreme Court over transparency, administrative processes, and the role of the Chief Justice in managing judicial affairs.
