Dismissed complaints against CJP Afridi made public

Published May 22, 2026 Updated May 22, 2026 07:30am
A file photo of Justice Yahya Afridi. — Photo courtesy Supreme Court website/File
A file photo of Justice Yahya Afridi. — Photo courtesy Supreme Court website/File

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Thursday made public the May 14 decisions of the Supreme Judicial Council, which dismissed five complaints against him lodged by different lawyers and litigants with the apex council.

During its May 14 meeting, the council considered and disposed of 23 different complaints in accordance with Article 209 of the Constitution against the superior court judges, including the CJP.

The council had decided to first take up matters concerning some of its own members. Accordingly, meetings were held with varying compositions in accordance with the relevant constitutional provisions.

The SJC unanimously dismissed one of the complaints filed by Advocate Mian Sibghatullah Shah from Peshawar. The gist of the allegation was that in 2016, the CJP, as a judge of the Peshawar High Court, did not adhere to merit in the selection of additional sessions judges and thus committed misconduct.

Likewise, the SJC took up another complaint by a Karachi resident, Amjad Hussain Durrani, who had alleged that his case was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Jan 12, 2022, by a bench of which the CJP was a member, without affording a fair opportunity of a hearing to the petitioner, which amounted to misconduct. The SJC also rejected the complaint.

Similarly, Advocate Ajmal Mahmood had moved a complaint stating that through a Dec 3, 2024 office order of the Supreme Court, the previously imposed ban restricting his entry into the SC and its branch registries was further extended by the CJP, which amounted to misconduct. The council rejected the complaint.

In yet another complaint, Kamran Khan from Karachi had alleged that the SJC dismissed a previous complaint submitted by him unlawfully and without affording him an opportunity of a hearing, which amounted to misconduct. This complaint was also rejected.

The SJC also dismissed the complaint of Muhammad Asif Masood, accusing that the decision of an appeal rendered by an SC bench on March 28, 2023, of which the CJP was a member, was against the law and facts, which amounted to misconduct. The complaints against the CJP were reviewed by a meeting of the reconstituted council, chaired by Federal Constitutional Court CJ Aminuddin Khan. The rest of the complaints on May 14 were determined by the CJP-led SJC.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026

Opinion

Editorial

Hardening lines
Updated 22 May, 2026

Hardening lines

Iranian suspicions about Pakistan’s close ties with Washington and Gulf states persist, while Pakistan remains uneasy over Tehran’s growing engagement with India.
Unliveable city
22 May, 2026

Unliveable city

IN Karachi, when it comes to water, it is every man and woman for themselves. A persistent shortage in available...
Glof alert
22 May, 2026

Glof alert

FOR many communities in northern Pakistan, the sound of heavy rain now carries a different meaning. It is no longer...
External woes
Updated 21 May, 2026

External woes

Relying indefinitely on remittances to offset structural economic weaknesses is not sustainable.
Political activity
21 May, 2026

Political activity

THE opposition is astir. There is talk of widespread protests this Friday over a list of dissatisfactions with the...
Seizing hope
21 May, 2026

Seizing hope

ISRAEL’S tyranny knows no bounds. After intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail last week, disturbing...