PTI Backs Justice Mansoor Ali Shah for Next Chief Justice, Says Imran Khan

RAWALPINDI: Imran Khan, the jailed founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has announced his party’s full support for Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah to become the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Speaking informally to journalists from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Wednesday, Khan urged that the appointment should be made without delay.

“The appointment of the next chief justice should be announced soon. We completely back Justice Mansoor Ali Shah,” said the former prime minister, who was ousted through a parliamentary vote in April 2022.

Khan also criticized the government’s attempts to undermine the judiciary, claiming the ruling coalition was seeking to diminish the power of the current CJP. He expressed concerns over what he described as efforts to manipulate the judiciary ahead of the 2024 general elections, alleging that “they want their own judges to cover the election fraud.”

The PTI leader’s remarks come amidst controversy over a proposed constitutional package put forward by the government, which includes provisions to extend the retirement ages of judges in both the Supreme Court and high courts. The move has fueled speculation that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) aims to extend the tenure of the current CJP, Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire in October.

Despite claiming to have secured the necessary parliamentary support with backing from allies such as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the PML-N has postponed introducing the constitutional amendments. PTI had earlier called for an early notification regarding the appointment of the next