Athar Minallah exhorts judges not to fear criticism

Islamabad: Supreme Court judge Justice Athar Minallah has said that Pakistan would not have been created in 1971 if the covenant had not been violated.

Addressing at workshop, Athar Minallah said that even if the critic trusts the same court, it is a trial of the judiciary. Everyone should criticize but also trust the judiciary, while the influence of social media should not be on the judges. Indeed, if a judge takes the influence of social media, he violates his oath.

He said: “Are we standing on the principle today? Everyone should ask themselves where we are heading, the states cannot control the freedom of opinion in the age of technology.”

Justice Athar Minallah stated that someone is punished even before the crime is proven. He asked from a gardener that is there truth around you? The gardener said that nowadays there is no era of truth but everyone knows the truth.

He further said that when the issue of 18th amendment was raised, many forces were against it. He was asked what the Supreme Court will do on the 18th amendment. I said: “I will resign if the 18th amendment is repealed." Then someone reported it that Athar Minallah threatened the court.

He explained: "There are two types of criticism on the judiciary. One type is questioning the integrity of decisions, while the other one is based on personal preferences. It is compulsory for everyone to engage in constructive criticism while maintaining trust in the judiciary."

Justice Athar Minallah declared: “The solution to our issues lies in the implementation of the constitution, by following the constitutional principles, we can aspire to become a great nation.”