A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court, hearing a set of pleas against military trials for perpetrators of the May 9 riots, has dissolved once again on Monday. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, one of the judges on the bench, refused to be part of the bench after the government raised objections.
The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), Mansoor Usman Awan, came to the rostrum at today’s hearing and imparted the government’s objections on including Justice Mansoor in the bench as one of the petitioners is related to him.
“One of the petitioners is Justice Shah’s relative. Therefore, it may affect his conduct,” AGP Awan said.
However, Chief Justice of Pakistan CJP Umar Atta Bandial said, “The bench will not be made according to your whims.” The CJP expressed anger by saying that the “government should not mock the judiciary.”
Nonetheless, Justice Shah recused himself from the bench.
Petitions against military trials have been filed by former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Jawwad S. Khawaja, Aitzaz Ahsan, Karamat Ali, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
At the first hearing of the case, Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood left the bench after Justice Isa said he did not consider the SC bench “a proper court.”
Leave a Reply