SC annuls verdict of forced retirement of 13 K-P judges

Sends matter to judicial services tribunal for re-examination

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the judicial tribunal's decision regarding forced retirement of 13 judges of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) lower judiciary.

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, heard the case and referred the matter to the judicial services tribunal for re-examination.

During the course of proceedings, the court directed the tribunal to decide the appeals filed by the lower judiciary judges.

The court also asked the judicial tribunal to review the issue of increased assets of judges along with Annual Confidential Report.

Justice Ahsan observed that Justice Shah Hussain's assets increased threefold in two years.

He remarked that the assets of the judge increased from Rs6.4 million to over Rs350 million by the time he became a senior civil judge.

The counsel for Justice Hussain said that the allegations of assets beyond means were not levelled in the show cause notice.

He apprised the bench that his client had mentioned the market value of his property in pro forma, adding that the assets were the same but higher market value was mentioned.

The chief justice asked where it was mentioned to describe market value of the assets.

Justice Ahsan said that doubts about the judge's credibility were raised for consecutive three years.

The counsel informed the court that the judicial tribunal gave the decision and his client's appeals were pending in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

The PHC committee fired 13 lower judiciary judges of K-P. The judicial tribunal changed the dismissal decision into forced retirement. The judges challenged the tribunal’s decision in the apex court. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)