Justice Neelum tipped for SC elevation

Three senior judges under consideration for LHC's top post

ISLAMABAD:

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum is likely to be elevated as a Supreme Court judge by next month. The appointment is likely to take effect after the retirement of SC's Justice Musarrat Hilali, who is due to retire on August 8.

Sources said Justice Hilali's name had earlier been under consideration for appointment to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment. However, she could not be appointed due to health-related issues.

Following Justice Neelum's anticipated elevation, three senior judges are expected to be considered for appointment as the next chief justice of the LHC. The names under consideration are Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi.

Interestingly, when former LHC chief justice Shahzad Ahmad Malik was elevated to the SC, three names were considered for the office of the LHC chief justice.

However, instead of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi—the latter now serving as an FCC judge—a unanimous decision was taken to appoint Justice Neelum, who was third on the seniority list, as the LHC chief justice.

Sources added that one reason a senior judge was not appointed as the LHC chief justice at the time was the existence of negative public perception surrounding that judge.