The Supreme Court bench hearing a set of petitions against the trial of civilians in military courts has been dismissed for the second time, after Justice Mansoor Ali Shah recused himself from the bench. Justice Shah was part of the seven-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, hearing the at least four petitions against the trial of civilians in military courts. Other members of the bench, besides the CJP and Justice Shah, included Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Ayesha Malik. Earlier, Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood were also part of the larger bench, but they recused themselves. The hearing is now scheduled to resume at 11am when the CJP will constitute the bench afresh. At the outset of Monday’s hearing, Justice Shah separated himself from the bench after the attorney general for Pakistan, representing the federal government, raised an objection that one of the petitioners was the judge’s relative. The CJP told the AGP that benches cannot be formed on their wishes and whims, and asked him on what basis the objection was being raised on a member of the bench. He remarked that he had said on the first day that if someone had any objection to the bench they could say so. The AGP said the federal government has directed that an objection be raised over Justice Shah.
Military court trials: SC bench hearing pleas dissolved once again
