Retired judges and senior lawyers on Monday penned an open letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, expressing grave concern over the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
They warned that the amendment poses the “biggest threat” to the independence of the Supreme Court since its inception and demanded a full court session to formulate an institutional response.
Legal community voices alarm
The letter, led by lawyer Faisal Siddiqui and signed by several high-profile jurists, urges the Chief Justice to take an immediate and collective stance on the matter. The signatories include Justice (retd) Mushir Alam, Justice (retd) Nadeem Akhtar, and former Attorney Generals Makhdoom Ali Khan, Munir A. Malik, and Anwar Mansoor Khan, along with senior lawyers Abid Zuberi, Akram Sheikh, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Khawaja Ahmed Hussain, and Salahuddin Ahmed.
According to the letter, the judiciary has never faced such an attempt by any civil or military government to make the Supreme Court subordinate to the executive. The writers stressed that the situation is “extraordinary” and requires a unified institutional response.
Call for full court session
The retired judges and lawyers have demanded that Chief Justice Yahya Afridi immediately convene a full court meeting to deliberate on the constitutional amendment. They stated that the Supreme Court holds the constitutional authority to give its opinion on such a matter and must act collectively to safeguard judicial independence.
“If you do not call a full court meeting,” the letter says, “we expect you to acknowledge in writing that you have reconciled with being the last Chief Justice of Pakistan.”
The legal fraternity described the proposed 27th Amendment as an unprecedented challenge to judicial autonomy. They warned that failure to act could erode the credibility and authority of the Supreme Court. “No previous civilian or military regime has managed to make the Court a subordinate institution,” the letter noted, emphasizing the need for a strong and timely response.
