Three senior judges of the Supreme Court—Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Aqeel Abbasi—have sent a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
In the letter, the judges expressed serious concerns over the non-scheduling of the crucial “bench powers” case. They termed the delay a violation of judicial orders and a clear act of contempt of court.
The letter, which was also addressed to Justice Aminuddin Khan, criticized the failure to hear the case on January 20. This lapse occurred despite prior directives for the hearing.
The letter highlighted that Justice Aqeel Abbasi had been included in the bench on January 16. Notably, he had previously dealt with the same case while serving at the Sindh High Court.
Ignoring Judicial Orders
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah raised strong objections to the delay in scheduling the case. He argued that the matter should have been listed in compliance with earlier judicial orders. He emphasized that ignoring these directives amounted to disobedience of the law.
The letter referred to a meeting of the Practice and Procedure Committee held on January 17. Justice Mansoor noted that he had declined to attend the meeting. He clarified that his stance on the issue was already on record. According to him, the committee had full authority to constitute the previous bench and schedule the hearing without his participation.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asserted that the failure to schedule the case violated judicial norms. He argued that this negligence undermined the legal process and disrespected judicial orders.
He firmly stated that the non-scheduling of the case constituted contempt of court. Justice Mansoor urged the Chief Justice to address the issue and take necessary action.
