Rana Sanaullah, an adviser to the Prime Minister on political and public affairs and a member of the PML-N, has claimed that the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment has blocked Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s path to becoming Chief Justice. He emphasized that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party played a larger role in this situation than the government.
Under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif, the government, with support from allies like the PPP, enacted controversial legislation that altered the process for appointing future Chief Justices, set a specific tenure for the position, and established constitutional benches in both houses of parliament.
In an interview with the BBC, Sanaullah described the PTI as a party focused on creating chaos, stating, “Anyone they back ends up suffering.”
He praised Justice Mansoor but mentioned that PTI lawmakers claim to have an agreement with him. He quoted them, saying that when Justice Mansoor assumes office as Chief Justice in October, he would take actions against the government. Sanaullah cautioned that such remarks could damage someone’s credibility.
Before the 26th amendment was introduced, Justice Mansoor was next in line to become Chief Justice due to his seniority following the retirement of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. However, the amendment removed the seniority rule, meaning that the next Chief Justice will no longer be chosen solely based on seniority. Instead, the selection will be made from among the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court.
A special 12-member parliamentary committee will now nominate the Chief Justice, requiring a two-thirds majority to confirm their choice. The nominated name will then be sent to the Prime Minister, who will forward it to the President for final approval.
