ISLAMABAD: The chief justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, has taken steps to unite the divided Supreme Court amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the forum’s recent ruling on the election delay case in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Geo News reported, citing sources.
The verdict has raised questions from fellow judges, the government, and the KP Bar Council about the chief justice’s involvement, with some politicians calling for him to step down from his position.
In response, Justice Bandial initiated a fence-mending process last week, which continued on Sunday with separate meetings with Supreme Court judges in an attempt to end the rift among them, according to sources.
To create a consensus among the judges, the judge formed benches for the next week, adding judges who gave dissenting notes in the Punjab election case. Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Athar Minallah will join his bench on Monday.
Other judges included in the benches are Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi.
By making these changes, Chief Justice Bandial hopes to end any impression of differences and create unity among the judges.
