Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah lamented Monday the lack of civilian and constitutional supremacy in the country where there is no rule of law but ‘rule of the elite’.

He made these remarks while addressing a full-court refernece in his honour ahead of his elevation to the Supreme Court.

Justice Minallah said that the state’s failure to fulfil its responsibilities was a tragic failure. More than half of our lives have been spent under dictatorships, he said, adding that a change of minset was required to ensure that the Constitution is implemented.

He went to on say that it was the responsibility of politicians to resolve political and legislative issues in Parliament instead of bringing them to the courts.

He added that the Islamabad High Court was unlike other courts while expressing gratitude to the Islamabad Bar as well as journalists covering court proceedings.

Other speakers on the occasion included Justice Aamer Farooq, who will take over from Justice Minallah as the chief justice of the IHC, Islamabad Bar Council Vice Chairman Qamar Sabzwari, Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Shoaib Shaheen along with the Islamabad advocate general and additional attorney general.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan and Justice Tamman Rifat Imtiaz were also present at the full-court reference.