Govt questions judges ‘unilateral’ transfers

Law ministry writes to LHC Chief Justice, questions transfer of judges in Punjab.

ISLAMABAD:

The law ministry has questioned the “unilateral transfer” of accountability courts’ judges by former Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice Muhammad Qasim Khan.

Sources revealed to The Express Tribune that the ministry has written a letter to incumbent LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti questioning the transfer of the judges in the province of Punjab.

They said the chief justice is deliberating over the letter. Judges of the accountability courts – formed under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 to hear the references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) – are appointed by the chief justice of each provincial high court in consultation with the law ministry.

However, the former LHC chief justice on March 31 unilaterally transferred 25 district and sessions judges in the province, including those hearing corruption cases filed against Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and other PML-N leaders.

Later, the LHC former chief justice also sent nominations for accountability court judges. However, as the law ministry was not satisfied with those nominations, it delayed these appointments.

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Soon after the retirement of Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, the law ministry raised the issue of the transfer of accountability court judges with the new LHC chief justice.

The government is also considering amending the law for the appointment of retired judges to the accountability courts.

Delay in trial Sources informed The Express Tribune that Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting with his legal aide last week expressed great concern over delay in completion of trial of politicians accused of graft. Minister for Law Dr Farogh Naseem, Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan,

Senator Ali Zafar and Adviser to the PM on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar attended the meeting. Sources said now the government has decided to focus – before the next general election – on those graft cases in which conviction of opposition leaders could be ensured.

They also said private counsels would be arranged for NAB for effective and expeditious prosecution in such cases.

Earlier, NAB had engaged Ali Zafar to oppose bail application of PPP leader Khursheed Shah. Sources said the government is mainly focusing on ensuring conviction of Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz and is keen to appoint accountability court judges in Lahore soon.