PBC demands list of nominees for LHC vacant posts

Urges CJP to ensure meaningful consultation with bar in judges appointments

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has requested Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed to share the actual list of people nominated to be appointed as the Lahore High Court (LHC) additional judges, while urging the top judge to ensure meaningful consultation with the bar in judges’ appointment process.

As consultations for appointment of additional judges in the LHC are at their final stage, the superior bars have mounted pressure on the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) – the constitutional forum responsible for appointing judges to the superior courts.

PBC Vice Chairman Abid Saqi on Friday issued a statement which said the legal fraternity has taken strong exception to the reports doing the round on the social, electronic and print media about a meeting between the CJP – who is also the JCP chairman – and the LHC chief justice.

During the meeting, the two CJs allegedly discussed and finalized the list of persons being appointed as additional judges to the LHC. The alleged list also includes names of people who were never ever interested in their elevation as a judge, the statement said.

"We, therefore, demand that concerned authorities may please check such reports and clarify the factual position of the matter.

“The PBC also requests the Hon'ble CJP to immediately share the actual list being prepared for elevations against vacant posts of judges in the LHC with Mr Akhtar Hussain, who represents the PBC in the JCP for meaningful consultation.”

The JCP comprises the CJP, four senior most judges of the Supreme Court, a former SC judge, the federal minister for law, the Attorney-General for Pakistan and a PBC representative.

 “[Hussain] thereafter would also consult the representatives of provincial/Islamabad Bar Council to the JCP for accomplishing the real object of meaningful consultation with the bar that being the important stakeholder, and only then the matter should be considered by the JCP in its meeting.”

Abid Saqi said the legal fraternity will not accept any elevation if made without meaningful consultation with its representatives in the JCP.

Currently 20 posts of judges are lying vacant in the LHC as no new appointment has been made in high court for the past two years.

Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the LHC chief justice did meet with CJP Gulzar Ahmed on Thursday. “However, it is not yet clear whether the two judges could reach a consensus on the proposed list of nominees,” the source added.