SC Judge Athar Minallah hounded in London

LONDON: Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Athar Minallah was heckled by a few Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists in London when he was leaving the campus after addressing the ‘Future of Pakistan’ conference held at the London School of Economics (LSE).

On the occasion, female PTI activists approached the judge and tried to ask him questions. The party workers also shouted slogans, demanding the release of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.

 However, PTI’s UK chapter has condemned the incident and clarified that those involved in the heckling incident not represent the PTI.

 “PTI UK strongly condemns the treatment towards Honourable Justice Athar Minallah. Those involved do not represent the PTI, nor does PTI UK endorse such behavior,” the party chapter stated on the social media platform X.

Videos circulating on social media showed Justice Minallah being harassed in the streets of London, escorted to a car by a group, with others shouting slogans both in support of the PTI and against the army.

Justice Minallah was invited as a guest to the ‘Future of Pakistan Conference’ at the London School of Economics.

JUSTICE MINALLAH ADDRESS AT LSE

During his address at the LSE, Justice Minallah emphasized the importance of civil supremacy and the protection of democracy, noting that the Supreme Court’s involvement in supporting the derailment of democracy and the Constitution is untenable.

He said, “The absence of civil supremacy has created a persistent tension, and the Constitution has been subverted since the country has not been governed there under.”

In a speech titled ‘Unpacking Pakistan’s Constitutional Crisis: The Role of the Supreme Court,’ the judge stated: “The Supreme Court was perceived to have been involved in political engineering prior to the 2018 general elections, which resulted in the formation of a weak civilian government that could not last more than three years. This period saw a particular type of constitutional crisis; governance was regarded as hybrid in character, with elected politicians and the army hierarchy working together, a fact subsequently publicly confirmed by the then-prime minister.

The judge further stated that political leaders only speak out in favor of restoring civil supremacy when they are not in power; however, when they are in office, they deliberately enable the Constitution to be violated with impunity by sacrificing civilian supremacy.

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