Four Supreme Court Judges Decline to Attend Full Court Meeting, Raise Objections to Rules Approved via Circulation

Islamabad – Four judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan have written a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, expressing strong reservations over the approval of the Supreme Court Rules through circulation and announcing their decision to boycott the upcoming full court meeting.

The judges who signed the letter include Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Ayesha Malik. They objected to the rules being approved without deliberation in a full court session and refused to participate in the scheduled meeting.

According to the letter, the judges were informed on 3 September 2025 about the full court meeting, which was intended to discuss amendments to the Supreme Court Rules 2025. However, the four judges reiterated their previously raised concerns, stressing that the rules were neither presented in the full court nor formally approved by it.

The letter further stated that under Article 191 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court as an institution collectively holds the authority to frame its rules. Therefore, without proper consideration and approval by the full court, the new rules cannot carry any legal validity, the judges maintained.