ISLAMABAD: According to a statement from the president’s office, Supreme Court Judge Justice Justice Ijazul Ahsan’s resignation was accepted by President Dr. Arif Alvi on Friday.
The announcement also stated that the president accepted the resignation in accordance with “Articles 179 and 206 (a) of the Constitution” at the suggestion of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.
The Supreme Court was facing extraordinary circumstances when Justice Ahsan, who was expected to succeed Chief Justice Khan of Pakistan, tendered his resignation the day before. This occurs one day after the resignation of Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, another judge who had similar views.
“I have had the honor and distinction of holding positions as chief justice of the Lahore High Court, judge of the Pakistan Supreme Court, and judge of the Lahore High Court.
But I no longer want to serve as a judge on Pakistan’s Supreme Court. In light of this, and with immediate effect, I, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, resign from my position as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in accordance with Article 206(1) of the Constitution,” Justice Ahsan shockingly stated in his resignation letter.
The incoming Chief Justice, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, is expected to hold the position for over three years.
Within the organization, incumbent CJ Qazi Faez Isa’s standing has grown stronger since his resignation. Judicial politics have been in full force since the filing of a presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa in May 2019, and the SC has essentially stayed split between two factions.
Three former Chief Justices, Saqib Nisar, Gulzar Ahmed, and Umar Ata Bandial, stayed close to Justice Ahsan. He was a member of multiple benches that rendered contentious rulings.
