ISLAMABAD – A letter from Supreme Court’s senior-most judge, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, has surfaced, voicing strong opposition to the recent expansion of the constitutional bench. The letter, addressed to members of the Judicial Commission, was written ahead of the commission’s June 19 meeting.
In his letter, Justice Mansoor urged that no changes be made to the composition of the bench until the verdict in the 26th Constitutional Amendment case is announced. He expressed disappointment over the timing of the meeting, noting that he had already informed the commission about his unavailability and had expected the session to be postponed — a practice observed in the past when executive members were absent. “This time, perhaps because judicial members are in the minority, the meeting was not delayed,” he noted.
Justice Mansoor warned that proceeding with the expansion before the verdict could deepen the institutional crisis and further erode public trust in the judiciary. He emphasized the need to declare all judges as part of the constitutional bench until the decision is announced and called for clear criteria and standards for appointing judges to such benches in the future.
On June 19, 2025, despite the concerns raised, the Judicial Commission, with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi in the chair, approved the extension of Justice Aminuddin Khan and other constitutional bench members until November 30. Justice Aminuddin Khan had already been appointed as the head of the bench for an additional six months earlier.
This is not the first time the Judicial Commission has extended the tenure of the constitutional bench; a similar extension was granted in December 2024.
No fear of reference when nothing wrong has been done: Justice Mansoor
