Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s ruling on full court formation will be challenged by the federal government.

In the contempt of court action against Additional Registrar Judicial Nazar Abbas, the federal government has chosen to contest the Supreme Court’s senior judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah,’s order establishing a full court.

Attorney General Mansoor Awan briefed the constitutional bench on the federal government’s position during the hearing of the Customs Regulatory Duty case.

The Attorney General contended that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah made his ruling using suo motu authority, which he was not permitted to do.

He added that the federal government considered the decision unconstitutional and would appeal against the contempt of court ruling. The government also planned to file a review petition on Justice Shah’s January 13 and January 16 decisions.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar expressed doubts about the lawsuit’s ability to move forward while Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s directive to bring the Customs Duty case before his bench was still in force.

In his statement, “The judiciary will endure, and we must safeguard our institution,” Justice Jamal Mandokhail emphasized that the independence of the court was a shared concern.

In the meantime, Justice Ayesha Malik provided written justification for her decision to not hear the case pertaining to Customs Regulatory Duty. She emphasized how crucial it is to preserve a distinct line between judicial and administrative orders in order to protect the integrity of and compliance with court rulings.