Islamabad: A Supreme Court bench, led by Senior Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, expressed concerns over the lack of communication regarding a Judges Committee meeting. Justice Shah, a member of the committee, stated that he was unaware of the meeting and its decisions.

During a hearing regarding the powers of constitutional and regular benches, Barrister Salahuddin, representing the petitioner, informed the court that the case scheduled for hearing today was not listed. Justice Shah inquired about the reasons behind the rescheduling.

Following a brief recess, Deputy Registrar Zulfiqar Ali presented the information, stating that the Judges Committee had decided to reschedule the case for January 27, 2025. However, Justice Shah questioned why he, as a member, was not informed about the meeting.

Justice Ayesha Malik raised concerns about the sudden change in the schedule for the entire week’s fixed cases, requesting detailed clarification. Justice Shah further directed the Deputy Registrar to provide detailed minutes of the Judges Committee meeting and to explain the rescheduling process.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to Additional Registrar Judicial for not complying with judicial orders and failing to attend court. The court has ordered the Additional Registrar to appear in person and provide clarification. The case hearing has been adjourned until Tuesday, with the case scheduled for 9:30 AM.

In addition, the Supreme Court questioned why a judicial order from January 16 was disregarded and why a research officer would now decide which cases should be transferred to the constitutional bench. The court reiterated that only the designated bench has the authority to handle such cases.

The issue raised concerns regarding administrative decisions potentially undermining the independence of judicial processes and the proper allocation of cases within the court system.