Another retired judge turns down ad hoc Supreme Court appointment

Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar declines appointment following criticism

An esteemed former judge of the Supreme Court (SC) Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar declined the appointment as an ad-hoc judge, a day after another former SC judge Justice (retd) Mushir Alam rejected the offer for the same position, Express News reported.

Media reports revealed that while Justice Maqbool was initially supportive of the appointment, he withdrew today, citing personal and domestic reasons. Justice Maqbool expressed gratitude for the nomination but ultimately decided against accepting the prestigious role.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Justice (retired) Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice (retired) Sardar Tariq Masood have expressed their willingness to take up the ad hoc judge positions, demonstrating their continued commitment to judicial service.

Read Retired judges' pick sparks controversy

The issue surfaced following a letter from Justice (retired) Mushir Alam to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, who also heads the Supreme Judicial Council overseeing these appointments. In his letter, Justice Alam expressed gratitude for the nomination but regretfully declined due to current circumstances.

In his correspondence, Justice Alam emphasized his respect for the Judicial Commission and the Supreme Court, acknowledging the trust placed in him.

Justice Alam cited disappointment with the social media campaign that emerged following his nomination as a significant reason for his decision. "The campaign on social media after the nomination of ad-hoc judges has been deeply discouraging," the letter read.

"In the current circumstances, I regret that I am unable to serve as an ad-hoc judge," he conveyed.

Expressing gratitude, Justice Alam wrote, "God has honoured me beyond my position...I am thankful to the Judicial Commission for the honour of being reappointed as an ad-hoc judge."

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has voiced opposition to these ad-hoc appointments in the SC.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar criticized the appointments, alleging they were tainted with dishonesty, and announced plans to challenge them in the Supreme Judicial Council.