ISLAMABAD –Two senior judges of Supreme Court of Pakistan resigned in protest against the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, calling it a “grave assault” on the constitution.
Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah stepped down just hours after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the amendment into law, sparking widespread speculation about a potential exodus of more judges.
Federal Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has dismissed concerns, calling the resignations a matter of “personal differences,” but the nation watches anxiously as the judiciary faces an unprecedented crisis.
Justice Shah’s resignation letter warned that the Supreme Court has been “dismantled” and reduced to a court with muted constitutional authority, suggesting that remaining judges may also resign rather than serve in a “truncated and diminished” court.
The amendment, which proposes the formation of a government-appointed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to handle constitutional cases instead of the Supreme Court, has been slammed by critics as an attempt to curb judicial independence and concentrate power in the executive’s hands.
Will Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Athar Minallah be placed on Exit Control List after resignation?
