PressAdda
Islamabad (Pakistan)— In a dramatic turn of events, Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah tendered their resignations just hours after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment into law.
Both judges had earlier urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi to convene a full court meeting and judicial conference to discuss the amendment, which they claimed undermines the judiciary’s independence.
In a hard-hitting resignation letter, Justice Shah denounced the new amendment as “a grave assault on the Constitution of Pakistan,” stating that it “dismantles the Supreme Court, subjugates the judiciary to executive control, and cripples judicial independence.” He said continuing to serve would amount to “silent acquiescence in a constitutional wrong.”
Justice Minallah, in his letter, echoed the same concerns, saying the Constitution he swore to uphold “is no more.” He called the amendment the “greatest assault” on the constitutional spirit of Pakistan, lamenting that what remains is “a mere shadow that breathes neither its spirit, nor speaks the words of the people.”
Justice Minallah, known for his outspoken views on judicial integrity, is the son-in-law of Justice Safdar Shah, who famously dissented in the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case during General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime.
The resignations have sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s legal and political circles, sparking a heated debate over the future of judicial independence in the country. Sources suggest the President is set to swear in the Chief Justice of the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court on Friday—a development seen by many as a direct outcome of the 27th Amendment.
This unprecedented judicial shake-up marks one of the most defining moments in Pakistan’s constitutional history, with analysts warning that it could trigger a deep institutional crisis.
दुई न्यायाधीशले दिए राजीनामा दिएपछि पाकिस्तानको सर्वोच्च अदालतमा हंगामा
