Asif assails former SC judges Shah, Minallah

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday strongly criticised the resignations of two Supreme Court judges, describing the move as a “desperate manoeuvre” in response to the loss of their ‘judicial monopoly’ following the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The resignations of Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah came mere hours after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the amendment into law on Thursday, an act now officially recognised by the president. Speaking in a heated National Assembly session, Asif accused the judiciary of suffering from “selective amnesia,” suggesting that the two justices had conveniently forgotten their past actions while now attempting to position themselves as protectors of democracy. He argued that their sudden concern for judicial independence was merely a reaction to the reduction of their powers. The minister traced the judiciary’s involvement in the political crisis that led to the removal of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reminding lawmakers of the Supreme Court’s role in orchestrating his ousting. “Four to five years ago – in fact, eight to 10 years ago – when the process to remove Nawaz Sharif began, I want to remind you of the role our Supreme Court judges played,” Asif said, adding that the judiciary had effectively turned a political conspiracy against Sharif into a reality. As the opposition chanted slogans, Asif continued his accusations, recalling the landmark Panama Papers case. He highlighted the formation of two benches under then-Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, which ultimately declared Sharif ineligible to hold office, leading to his removal from politics. Asif pointed to Justices Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Ejaz Afzal, Gulzar Ahmed, and Ijazul Ahsan as part of the bench that made this ruling, emphasising that their role in disqualifying a democratically elected leader should not be overlooked. “As Nawaz Sharif was declared ineligible, another bench was formed to decide the duration of his ineligibility,” Asif noted, criticising the judiciary’s practice of dismissing elected prime ministers with a single stroke of the pen. He also referenced a bench that ruled Sharif’s disqualification would be permanent, with a subsequent decision declaring that an ineligible person could not lead a political party. “These ‘kangaroo courts’ victimised Nawaz Sharif, with an agenda to ensure he would be permanently ousted from politics,” Asif added, pointing to the resignations of Justices Shah and Minallah after the 27th Amendment’s passage. Asif also mocked Justice Shah for including a poem by renowned poet Ahmad Faraz in his resignation letter. “Now they’re writing poetry and issuing political statements after their time in the courts,” he said, deriding the judges for their post-resignation conduct. The minister further claimed that their actions, cloaked in the guise of upholding judicial independence, were nothing more than a bid to reclaim the monopoly they had once enjoyed in the country’s highest court. “The amendment seeks to establish the supremacy of the constitution,” Asif stressed, arguing that the judges’ claims of the amendment undermining the judiciary’s independence were without merit. In accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of prioritising the interests of ‘an individual’ over the constitution. He also lambasted the opposition for failing to denounce recent terrorist attacks in Wana and Islamabad, accusing them of aligning themselves with “protectors of terrorists.” Meanwhile, the National Assembly referred four bills to the relevant standing committees for further deliberation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025