Rana Sanaullah, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs, has indicated that the government is considering filing a misconduct reference against two senior judges of the Supreme Court.
Speaking on a news channel, Sanaullah accused the judges of frequently writing letters on various matters, which often find their way to the media before being officially addressed. “In my opinion, their actions could be linked to judicial misconduct at some level,” he stated. He also suggested that their actions were disrupting the smooth functioning of the Supreme Court, claiming, “These two judges write letters on every issue and then resort to boycotts.”
Sanaullah also praised Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi for maintaining neutrality in ongoing judicial matters. He further emphasized that if the Chief Justice believes there is a need to appoint a new judge to the Islamabad High Court, that decision should not be challenged.
On the political front, he commented on the formation of a special constitutional bench in response to demands from PTI and JUI-F, stating that his party desires a constitutional court. He also alluded to discussions on early elections but criticized PTI for not participating in meaningful dialogue.
Sanaullah expressed a willingness to investigate allegations of election rigging and the events of November 26 through a parliamentary committee. He accused PTI chairman Imran Khan of spreading propaganda against the judiciary and the military through letters.
On the meeting between the IMF delegation and the Chief Justice, Sanaullah dismissed concerns, clarifying that it was a routine engagement that had been delayed from an earlier scheduled time. He stressed that the IMF agreement includes provisions requiring judicial engagement, calling attempts to politicize the matter unnecessary.
Addressing concerns from the legal community, Sanaullah said that if the reasons behind their dissatisfaction are clear, the government is open to addressing them. He also defended the transfer of judges, stating that the principle of seniority had not been violated and referred to Article 200 of the Constitution, which allows for such transfers.
In a pointed remark, he criticized legal expert Salman Akram Raja for having a political agenda but acknowledged his right to express opinions. However, he questioned whether the Constitution requires that the reasons for judicial transfers be publicly disclosed.
