SHC rejects MQM-P plea for larger bench

Muttahida's counsel says present bench cannot hear the petition under the code of conduct

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court has rejected the plea of Muttahida Qaumi Movement -Pakisatn (MQM-P) leaders to form a full court bench comprising 10 senior judges in the petition regarding alleged irregularities in recruitment on more than 21,000 government jobs in Sindh.

A two-member bench headed by Justice KK Agha heard the MQM-P plea to form a full bench comprising 10 senior SHC judges.

MQM-P counsel Tariq Mansoor Advocate and Advocate General Sindh Salman Talib Uddin appeared before the court.

The MQM leaders' counsel called for a full court bench. Advocate Tariq Mansoor said that this is a very sensitive and important case. There are serious concerns over this bench. Under the code of conduct, this bench cannot hear the petition. "We request that the matter be referred to the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court."

Justice KK Agha asked Sindh Advocate General: "What would you like to say?" Salman Talib Uddin stated that what was said about the bench was unfortunate.

Meanwhile, The Sukkur IBA counsel argued that there was no need for a larger bench and stated that more than 1.1 million applications have been received so far out of which 100,000 candidates have been shortlisted.

Advocate Tariq Mansoor stated that incompetent people are being recruited for the next 35 years. The citizens of Sindh will have to bear the incompetent lot for the next 35 years.

The court rejected the petition of MQM leaders and the plea to form a full court bench comprising 10 senior judges.

Tariq Mansoor Advocate and the bench exchanged bitter words after the plea was rejected.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2022.