Shariat court : Appointments of two AJK judges nullified
The court has however, given legal cover to the decisions and rulings passed by the two terminated judges. PHOTO: FILE
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Supreme Court has declared appointment of two Shariat Court judges null and void. The AJK apex court also termed the Shariat Court Amendment Ordinance 2015 unconstitutional and illegal.
A three-member bench headed by Justice M Tabbasam Aftab Alvi declared the appointments of Shariat Court judges Mushtaq Ahmed Janjua and Sardar Shahzad Ahmed void.
The other two members of the bench were Justice Jehandad Mughal and Justice Azhar Saleem Babar
The also ordered the AJK government to table an ordinance in the state assembly within 30 days.
The apex court also passed an order stating that appointments to the Shariat Court be made under the Shariat Court Act 1993, unless the assembly were to pass the ordinance.
The court has however, given legal cover to the decisions and rulings passed by the two terminated judges.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2015.