Justices Mansoor Shah, Jamal Mandokhail of SC call for revisiting CJP's 'one-man show' power.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the Supreme Court have called for revisiting the power of the 'one-man show' enjoyed by the chief justice, saying that the country's top court could not 'be dependent on the solitary decision of one man'.

The two made the remarks in a detailed dissenting note - released on Monday hours after the SC took up the PTI's plea challenging the postponement of elections in Punjab - for the top court's March 1 verdict regarding holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the two provincial assemblies have been dissolved.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial on February 22 took suo motu notice of the polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that there appeared to be a 'lack of clarity' on the matter.

Justice Bandial also constituted a nine-member bench - comprising himself, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah - to hear the case.

The CJP on February 27, however, split the larger bench into a five-member bench. The SC also issued a written order, which was dictated in the open court on Feb 23 when Justice Jamal Mandokhail objected to the initiation of the proceedings under Article 184(3).

Signed by nine judges, the written order of the bench stated that keeping in view the Feb 23 order, the additioAnal notes attached by four judAges, the CJP's direction to add questions raised by JusAtice Shah, Justice Afridi, Justice MandoAkhail and Justice Minallah, as well as discussions/deliberations made in the anteroom of the apex court, the matter was referred back to the top judge.

In response, the CJP reconAsAtiAtuted the bench comprising himself, Justice Shah, Justice Akhtar, Justice Mandokhail, and Justice Mazhar. Those who dissociated themselves from the hearing included Justice Ahsan, Justice Afridi, Justice Naqvi, and Justice Minallah.

On March 1, the SC, in a 3-2 verdict, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult with President Arif Alvi for polls in Punjab and Governor Ghulam Ali for elections in KP.

The majority judgement, given by CJP Bandial, Justice Akhtar, and Justice Mazhar, however, allowed the ECP to propose a poll date that deviates from the 90-day deadline by the 'barest minimum', in case of any practical difficulty.

Justice Mandokhail and Justice Shah - who were among the four judges who had written additional notes in the Feb 23 order - dissented with the ruling. In a joint dissent note, the two top court judges said that the suo motu proceedings initiated by the CJP were 'wholly unjustified', besides being initiated with 'undue haste'.

In the 28-page detailed dissenting note, which was released on Monday, the two judges said that the top court's 'original jurisdiction' under Article 184(3) of the Constitution was not only ''discretionary' but also 'special' and 'extraordinary', which is to be exercised 'with circumspection' only in 'exceptional cases' of public importance relating to the enforcement of fundamental rights that are considered 'fit' for being dealt with...