Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has responded to Justice Mansoor Ali Shah's letter. Justice Shah had previously refused to attend the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Committee meeting.
According to details, Chief Justice Isa replied to Justice Mansoor Ali Shah's letter, in which the latter had questioned the removal of Justice Muneeb Akhtar from the committee and the non-inclusion of Justice Yahya Afridi.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had also refused to participate in the Practice Procedure Committee meeting and had written a letter and expressed reservations about the presidential ordinance to amend the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure law.
According to the sources, the chief justice wrote in the reply letter that Justice Afridi refused to be a part of the judges committee after which he was replaced by Justice Aminuddin Khan.
The entire contents of the CJP's letter have not been revealed, however, in the document he has reportedly cited reasons for not including Justice Muneeb Akhtar in the committee.
In the letter, CJP Isa has written that Justice Muneeb's attitude towards senior judges was very harsh, which was the result of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah's insistence. "Legally, you cannot question which judge the chief justice should include in the committee. But since I have always supported accountability and transparency, I will provide the reasons for doing so," the CJP's letter reportedly states.
Justice Isa mentioned in the letter that he would provide the reasons why Justice Muneeb Akhtar was replaced. "Bear in mind that I am doing this on your insistence, so that no one is upset," he wrote.
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He said Justice Muneeb Akhtar had strongly opposed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, adding that he was also among the two judges who neglected the caseload and utilised his entire summer vacation. "He was unavailable to carry out the work of the court during the vacation," the letter reportedly mentions.
The CJP's letter further states that Justice Muneeb was requested to attend the judges committee meeting during summer holidays, adding that the Practice Procedure Act states that urgent cases will be heard within 14 days. "Justice Muneeb's behaviour in the committee meeting was not appropriate, and he even walked out of it," the CJP said in his reply to Justice Shah's letter.
