Athar Minallah

Athar Minallah (; born 30 December 1961) is a Pakistani lawyer, and jurist who has served as a judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan from 11 November 2022 to 13 November 2025 . Before his appointment to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he was a judge of the Islamabad High Court for 8 years, and also served as its 5th Chief Justice from 28 November 2018 to 10 November 2022.

Before becoming a judge, he was a lawyer by profession and played an active part in the Lawyers' Movement which was backed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He was also part of Musharaf's cabinet from 2002-2004, but later resigned.

Early life and career Athar Minallah was born on 30 December 1961 in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then North-West Frontier Province) to Bilquis Nasrum Minallah, and Nasrum Minallah.

His father Nasrum Minallah was a senior civil servant, who served as the Chief Secretary of Balochistan from October 1976 to July 1977, and was removed soon after the imposition of the 1977 Martial Law because of his opposition to Pakistan Army's role in the matters of provincial government. His mother Bilquis Nasrum Minallah served as a member of National Assembly of Pakistan from 1985 to 1988.

Minallah obtained his early education from his hometown, Haripur. He has a Master of Laws from University of Cambridge. After getting his masters, he initially joined the Civil Services, and worked in the Custom Department. However, he soon resigned, and joined the legal profession.

In 2002 he took charge as the Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Local Government, and Rural Development in the then NWFP Provincial Government of Governor Lt. General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah which was formed under the Governor's Rule following the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état.

Minallah was amongst the early supporters of Military Dictator General Pervez Musharraf but in 2007, following the sacking of the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry by Musharraf, he joined the Lawyers' Movement for the restoration of the judiciary, and became one of the faces of the movement. He took oath as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 11 November 2022.

Through his judicial note which was released to the public on 7 April 2023, he criticised the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial. He contended that the court should not involve itself in politically motivated cases, as when it does so, it looks as it is furthering the political interests of a select group. He further stated that in political cases one side loses and the other side wins, but the Court in all circumstances is the loser. and for not giving PTI reserved seats as part of the SIC reserved seats case. He has also urged other judges to not take any external influence to avoid meddling in judicial matters.

On 13 November 2025, Minallah resigned from the Supreme Court in protest over the passage of the 27th constitutional amendment. He wrote, "The constitution that I swore an oath to uphold and defend is no more. What is left is a mere shadow, one that breathes neither its spirit, nor speaks the words of the people to whom it belongs."

Personal life He is married to Ghazala Safdar, daughter of Ghulam Safdar Shah, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, who was 1 of 3 dissenting judges of the 7 member Supreme Court of Pakistan bench that upheld the Lahore High Court conviction of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and was hounded out of Pakistan by the then military dictator, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.