On Friday, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah sent a strongly worded letter explaining why he was unable to attend Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s full-court reference.
In his letter to the registrar, he stated that “Traditions, like institutions, rely on the merits of those who embody them.”
According to the senior puisne judge’s letter, he had chosen not to take part in the referral for Justice Saqib Nisar, who had exceeded his authority in 2019. “More concerning reasons” led him to make the same choice today, he added.
Like an ostrich with its head in the sand, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remained oblivious to outside pressures and effects on the judiciary. He opened the gates wide, betraying the gatekeepers rather than acting as a barrier against meddling.
