Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah called the delay in scheduling the magistrate powers case a “contempt of court”, urging Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to deal with the matter expeditiously.
In a letter co-signed by Justices Ayesha Malik and Aqeel Abbasi, concerns were expressed over the handling of court orders, Express News reported.
Sources said Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan was also informed through a separate letter, referring to the recent appointment of Justice Abbasi to the bench on January 16. The judges expressed their dissatisfaction that the hearing of the case had not been fixed for January 20.
Justice Mansoor’s letter criticized procedural delays, arguing that the panel could have been formed earlier to ensure speedy proceedings.
He further said that non-compliance with court orders undermines the authority of the court.
The issue sparked debate about judicial practices and respect for administrative procedures of the courts.
The Supreme Court Procedure Committee, which met on January 17, was also mentioned in the correspondence. Justice Mansoor pointed out that his position on the issue was already on record.
SC issues contempt notice to additional registrar
Following the issuance of a contempt notice to the Additional Registrar for failing to dispose of 26th Amendment matters before a regular bench, the Supreme Court has now listed all petitions challenging the constitutional adjustment before a constitutional bench of eight members.
The hearing is scheduled for January 27 (Monday).
The move comes after a three-judge regular bench headed by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah expressed serious concerns over the delay in hearing the case where it was questioned whether the jurisdiction of the SC regular benches could be reduced by the 26th Amendment.
The bench was surprised that the SC office did not resolve the issue following the committee’s decision, which was not even in written form.
During Monday’s hearing, Justice Shah criticized the Supreme Court office for not scheduling the case after the committee’s decision, which had not yet been documented in writing. The court issued a show cause notice to the additional registrar and summoned him for explanation on Tuesday (today).
Earlier, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar had urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Khan Afridi to immediately schedule hearings for the pleas challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
The dispute began on October 31, 2024, when Justices Shah and Akhtar formally addressed a letter to CJ Afridi, urging him to meet under the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act, 2023.