LHC admin penalises 18 judges

CJ Khawaja Sharif orders disciplinary action against lower court judges, one judge retired, one removed, one demoted.

LAHORE: Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court has ordered disciplinary action against 18 lower court judges on corruption and other charges, including the compulsory retirement of one judges.

The penalties were decided at a meeting of the Administration Committee of the LHC headed by the chief justice on Saturday.

The committee imposed the penalty of compulsory retirement from service on Additional District and Sessions Judge Gabriel Francis of Bhakkar.

It also removed Civil Judge Saeed Ahmad Awan, currently posted in Yazman.

The committee demoted Akram-ul-Haq Chaudhry of Kehror Lal Esan from civil judge 1st class (BS 18) to civil judge 3rd class (BS 17) for two years.

It also increased minor penalties given to civil judges Muhammad Tariq of Khanewal and Sharafat Ali Nasir of Mianwali into major penalties.

The committee decided to start a fresh inquiry into charges against civil judges Faiz Ahmad Ranjha and Faisal Jamil, who have already been made officers on special duty.

It resolved to initiate disciplinary proceedings against ten judicial officers on various charges.

They are additional district and sessions judges M Khalid Mahmood Warraich, Amjad Ali Shah and Muhammad Shafique Butt, and civil judges Muhammad Shafique Chaudhry, Sarwat Mumtaz Syeda, Muhammad Saleem Sheikh, Muhammad Aslam, Amir Mukhtar Gondal, Khuda Yar, and Manzar Hayat.

The recommendation of the examination committee for the appointment of Muhammad Yousaf as a civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate was rejected by the Administration Committee, for his alleged involvement in immoral activities.

Cleared

The committee dropped disciplinary proceedings against additional district and sessions judges Muhammad Ittefaq Abbasi of Khushab and Muhammad Iqbal Khan of Lodhran, and civil judges Barkat Ali of Chishtian and Ilyas Raza Nasir of Malakwal.

The committee promoted additional district and sessions judges Hafeez Ullah Khan of Samundri and Abid Hussain of Pindi Bhattian to district and sessions judges.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2010.