In an angry letter to CJP, Justice Minallah criticizes the exploitation of the SC by ‘unelected elite’ to repress people’s will.

 Chief Justice – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – A Supreme Court Justice in Pakistan, Athar Minallah, has sent a powerful letter to the Chief Justice. He calls for a meeting of all senior judges to discuss serious dangers facing the court system. He expressed deep worry that public faith in the judges is falling fast.

Justice Minallah wrote that the court is sometimes used as a tool. He believes powerful, unelected groups within the state use it to crush the will of the ordinary people. He stated that writing this letter was his solemn duty to the country’s constitution for future generations.

He warned that while building a strong institution takes time, fear can destroy it very quickly. He admitted the court’s history has not been perfect. However, he stressed that past failures do not justify letting the court be controlled by a powerful elite today.

As a sitting judge, he said he feels a duty to speak up about the loss of public trust. He feels helpless because the fundamental rights promised to people often seem like empty words. He finds this reality both unpleasant and embarrassing.

The justice stated that the truth has been hidden from the people for too long. He said a long-standing alliance between some state institutions and rich elites has shaped the country’s history. This group is marked by its control, special privileges, and freedom from punishment.

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He pointed to several painful events from history. These include the removal and execution of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, which he called a grave betrayal. He also mentioned the persecution of Benazir Bhutto and the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as part of a pattern to suppress the people’s choice.

According to him, this is a repeating cycle. Leaders are built up and then torn down if they challenge the established power. The people’s vote is repeatedly undermined to keep the state captured by a small elite.

He noted that Imran Khan, the founder of the PTI party, is now also a victim of this same cycle. Dissent is being treated as a crime, and those who refuse to bow down face harsh treatment, with justice being denied to them.

He revealed that the truth is known within the court’s walls but is only whispered in private. The court’s independence has often been broken from inside, through surrender or active participation in this system.

He reminded that the court stayed silent on critical issues. This includes when a former chief justice spoke about enforced disappearances and when another hinted at pressures related to martial law.

Under the court’s watch, he said, election results have been manipulated, voices silenced, and journalists intimidated. He believes that at this dangerous point, honest self-reflection is absolutely necessary.

He respectfully urged the Chief Justice to call a judicial conference. This would allow for an open discussion with all high-level judges about threats to the judiciary’s freedom.

He added that Parliament should wait for the judiciary’s own perspective from such a conference before it makes big changes to the country’s core law. He questioned why some in the judiciary are already making plans for a new court before Parliament has even decided.

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Finally, Justice Minallah stated that the judiciary’s main loyalty must be to the people and the constitution, not to self-preservation or powerful figures. He concluded that staying silent as the court’s independence is eroded would make them complicit in the damage.