ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has reached out to his fellow judges to end the schism in the Supreme Court. As the controversy surrounding the top court’s verdict on the election delay case in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) escalates.
As a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, fellow judges, the government, and the KP Bar Council have raised concerns about the chief justice’s “controversial” role, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other politicians requesting that he resign.
According to the sources, CJP Bandial began mending fences last week, and the process proceeded through Sunday. Sources added that the chief justice is holding separate meetings with SC judges in an effort to mend their rift.
According to additional sources, the chief justice arranged the benches for the upcoming week in order to eliminate the impression of dissent among the judges and foster consensus.
The CJP has added judges who issued dissenting opinions in the Punjab election case to his bench. Thus, beginning on Monday, Justices Yahya Afridi and Athar Minallah will be members of the chief justice’s bench.
Justices Qazi Faiz Isa and Muhammad Ali Mazhar will also serve on the opposing bench. In addition, Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Ayesha Malik are members of the bench.
A bench consisting of Justice Minallah, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi has been established, as well as a bench consisting of Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi.
