ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz has urged Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who also heads the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, to reject the ad hoc appointment of Supreme Court judges.
In a letter to the chief justice, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator said that “the appointment of ad hoc judges gives the impression that it is all being done for the party. It should not be seen as an attempt to balance opinion against one side in the judiciary. After appointment of permanent judges, ad-hoc judges cannot be appointed on flimsy grounds to clear backlog of cases.”
Senator Faraz wrote that the proposal to appoint ad hoc judges came on the day the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the PTI on 8-5.
No transparent procedure was adopted for the selection of ad hoc judges, he added.
He wrote that the judges were selected without consulting the Judicial Commission, raising doubts about the entire process.
“Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqir remained an important officer in the administrator’s setup. Similarly, Justice (retired) Tariq Masood extended the case of 10 PTI supporters who were in army custody. Justice (Retd) Mazhar Miankhel made remarks on the issue of invoking Article 6 against PTI leaders,” the PTI senator wrote.
“Military trial of civilians, February 8 election case and recent PTI ban pending in Supreme Court. In such a situation, there are serious and legitimate concerns about the appointment of retired judges,” Senator Faraz said in his letter.
He said the backlog would not decrease significantly during the Chief Justice’s short tenure. The matter should be left to the incoming Chief Justice, he continued.
Senator Shibli Faraz wrote that “there should be no doubt in the appointment of ad hoc judges. The judiciary should be independent. I represent the public, the Pakistan Bar Council and various Bar Councils. Appointing ad-hoc judges gives the impression of interference in judicial affairs.
When Qazi Faez Isa was a member of the Judicial Council, he always insisted on transparency in the appointment of judges, the PTI senator concluded.
