PESHAWAR: Resigned Supreme Court Judge Justice Athar Minallah said that the oath which he had taken to uphold justice and supremacy of law under the constitution of Pakistan no longer exists, and that is today he submitted his resignation today.
In the resignation letter, Justice Athar Minallah said that 11 years ago, he took oath as a judge of the Islamabad High Court, four years later, he took oath as the Chief Justice of the same court, and another 4 years later, he took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
He further wrote that during all the oaths, I made one promise of loyalty to the Constitution; my oath was not to any individual or institution, but to the Constitution of Pakistan.
Justice Athar Minallah said that before the 27th Constitutional Amendment, I had written a letter to the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, in which I expressed constitutional concerns about the possible effects of this amendment. The concerns of that time, hidden behind silence and inaction, have become reality today.
He said that no matter how much he tries to convince him, the reality is that the spirit of the Constitution has been attacked. The foundations on which new structures are being built stand on the shrine of the Constitution. The judicial robes that they wear are not just formal attire. They are a symbol of the sacred trust that the nation has placed in the judiciary. History is a witness that often this attire has become a symbol of silence and inaction.
“If the coming generations do not see them differently, then our future will be the same as our past. Hopefully, in the coming days, those who do justice will make decisions with truth. With this hope, I am taking off this robe for the last time today,” Justice Athar Minallah said.
He said that I am submitting my resignation from the post of judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan with immediate effect. May Allah grant that those who do justice, do so with truth.
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