Four Supreme Court justices have written to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, requesting the postponement of a Judicial Commission meeting scheduled for February 10th. The letter, signed by Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Ayesha Malik, and Athar Minallah, raises concerns about the timing of upcoming judge appointments in light of the ongoing 26th Amendment case.

The justices argue that the appointment of new judges before the resolution of the 26th Amendment case could create a conflict, particularly regarding the composition of a full court hearing.

They point to the recent transfer of three judges from the Islamabad High Court, noting that these judges should have been sworn in again at the Islamabad High Court according to the constitution. The letter claims that the alteration of the seniority list at the Islamabad High Court, without the proper swearing-in, casts doubt on the legality of these judges’ positions.

The letter expresses concerns that proceeding with judge appointments under the current circumstances could be perceived as court-packing. The justices question the motivations behind this process, asking whose agenda is being served by placing the court in this precarious position.

The justices request a postponement of the judge appointments until a decision is reached on the 26th Amendment case, at a minimum, requesting a full court hearing on the matter. They also suggest delaying appointments until the seniority list of Islamabad High Court judges is finalized.