Judges’ Resignations a Wake-Up Call for Those Who Dream of Democratic Supremacy: Saad Rafique
Lahore: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-N leader and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that the recent wave of judicial resignations is a serious moment of reflection for all those who aspire to see the supremacy of the Constitution, justice, law, and democracy in Pakistan.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Saad Rafique noted that Supreme Court judges Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah have stepped down, and Lahore High Court’s Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza has now joined them by tendering his resignation.
He recalled that Athar Minallah was a frontline companion during the Lawyers’ Movement and is regarded among the judiciary’s few truly honest and upright figures. He praised Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s tenure as Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, noting his reputation for competence, independence, and integrity. Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, he said, has also long been considered among the respectable judges of the LHC.
Saad Rafique wrote that despite political disagreements and reservations over various judicial decisions, he has always respected the capability and general sense of fairness of the judges who have resigned.
He dismissed allegations of Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza’s supposed familial connection with Salman Akram Raja as “childish,” saying it had never interfered with his judicial work. He added that while a few Supreme Court judges had resigned earlier as well, grouping the latest resignations with those would be unfair, as the recently departed judges played an important role in maintaining judicial balance.
آواز دروں —•—
جسٹس اطہر من اللّٰہ اور جسٹس سید منصور علی شاہ مستعفی ھو گئے ھیں
اب لاھور ھائیکورٹ کے جسٹس شمس محمود مرزا بھی استعفےٰ دیکر اس صف میں شامل ھو گئے ھیں
جناب اطہر من اللّٰہ ججز بحالی موومنٹ کے دور جدوجہد کے دوران فرنٹ لائن کے ساتھی رھے ، جج بننے کے بعد کبھی…
— Khawaja Saad Rafique (@KhSaad_Rafique) November 17, 2025
Expressing deep regret over the resignations, Saad Rafique said that although some might view the development favourably through a lens of political polarization, a neutral perspective reveals a worrying trend. These resignations, he warned, are troubling for anyone who believes in the supremacy of constitutional democracy.
He further cautioned that this chain of resignations may not end with the judiciary but could extend to the parliament. “Every opponent cannot be arrested, nor can every dissenting voice be labelled anti-state,” he stated. A responsible state, he emphasized, cools down tensions rather than escalating internal conflicts, especially when it is surrounded by external threats.
“Instead of beating drums of celebration, we should focus on the emerging fault lines,” he concluded, urging national maturity and restraint to avoid deepening long-standing crises.
