Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has responded to the allegations and conspiracies against him regarding the possible ouster of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had he been appointed as the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).
Reports quoted a source close to Justice Shah as “categorically denying” any intentions or plans to remove the incumbent government if he had become the top judge.
It may be noted that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah was the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court (SC) and next in line to become the CJP after the retirement of then-CJP Qazi Faez Isa.
However, with the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the scenario for the appointment of the senior-most judge as the CJP was scratched, paving the way for the nomination and subsequent appointment of the third senior-most judge, Yahya Afridi, as the top judge.
The News also quoted the source as saying that a federal minister’s recent claims regarding the possible ouster of the government and Justice Shah bringing Imran Khan back to power was a “pack of lies”.
“Justice Mansoor Ali Shah wants everyone to understand that he is totally apolitical. His interest is in promoting the constitution, rule of law and democracy, and nothing comes in the way of him in achieving this.”
They also said that Justice Shah was not responsible for the actions of previous chief justices and he did not approve of their conduct.
“He has even written against them. It’s unfair to generalise all judges this way. His judgments stand as his record. Read them,” the source added in response to Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan’s recent remarks on “judicial monarchy”.
According to the report, the source skipped a question regarding Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s stern letter to former CJP Qazi Faez Isa during the latter’s farewell reference. “Let’s discuss that another time,” they said.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on October 25 had refused to attend Friday’s full court reference in honor of the outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.
“To stand a Reference and celebrate such a tenure would send a message that a Chief Justice can betray his institution, erode its strength, act petty and low and still be celebrated as an honorable servant of justice. I am sorry, I in good conscious, cannot stand at a reference for such a Chief Justice,” opined Puisne judge Mansoor Ali Shah in a in a letter of refusal on the record of the reference proceedings,
