ISLAMABAD: Khushdil Khan was elected unopposed vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), and Muhammad Faheem Wali as chairman executive committee.
The Council meeting was held in the Supreme Court which besides electing the vice chairman and the executive committee chairman, reiterated its stance for ensuring meaningful and purposive consultation with representatives of the Bar, before initiating names for appointment of judges of the superior courts.
The council expressed serious concern over delay in appointment of judges in different high courts against the posts lying vacant since long.
The council was particularly dismayed over long delay in making appointment of judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC) where almost 20 posts are lying vacant since a very long period of time.
The council said present process of appointment of judges being not fair and transparent, the Parliament should look into the matter for bringing about appropriate amendments in Article 175A of the Constitution, so as to strike a balance in the roles of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan and the Parliamentary Committee for Appointment of Judges, which henceforth is being dominated by the judiciary.
The PBC has also constituted a special committee headed by Farooq H Naek, to formulate proposals for amendments in the Constitution in that regard.
The PBC demanded of the Supreme Judicial Council, to make public its previous proceedings taken on complaints/references against judges of the superior courts as well as the number of cases pending before it, with detail of such cases e.g. names of the complainants, the judges concerned and the allegations made against them.
The Council also re-iterating its earlier stance, urging the chief justice of Pakistan for making suitable amendments in the Supreme Court Rules, 1980, so as to provide a right of Appeal before a larger Bench of the Supreme Court, at least of five judges, against its decisions/ orders/ judgments taken/passed by exercising its suo moto jurisdiction, under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
The PBC also re-iterated its oft-repeated demand for independence of judiciary and onslaughts of the executive against the independent judges of the superior courts specially against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and expressed its resolve that it will continue to strive for the supremacy of the Constitution, the Rule of Law, independence of judiciary.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021