A full court reference honoring outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa is scheduled for October 25, according to an official letter from Supreme Court Registrar Jazeela Aslam to the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Shahzad Shaukat. Senior Puisne Judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is set to succeed CJP Isa as the country's top judge.
The full court reference is a customary farewell gesture for departing chief justices. This announcement comes amidst weeks of political uncertainty, fueled by speculation that the ruling coalition intended to extend the chief justice's tenure through judiciary-focused legislation. However, the government was unable to present these amendments in parliament, particularly after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman withdrew support for the proposed judicial package. Consequently, the government faced a shortfall of 13 votes in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate, as the legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses.
In light of the ongoing speculation, CJP Isa emphasized his refusal to accept any "individual specific" proposals regarding the extension of the chief justices' tenure. Following comments attributed to him that were deemed "misreported" in the media, CJP’s Secretary Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad issued a clarification last month. He explained that the chief justice was speaking off the record to journalists during an event marking the judicial year.
CJP Isa stated that he informed the law minister that if any proposal was tailored to an individual, he would not support it if enacted.