Presidential notification on judges appointment cancelled
Pakistan
Presidential notification on judges appointment cancelled
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday announced issuance of a fresh notification to elevate Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Asif Saeed Khosa of Lahore High Court (LHC) to the Supreme Court (SC) while Justice Khawaja Mohammed Sharif would continue as LHC Chief Justice. Following an over three-hour long meeting here at the Prime Minister House, Gilani announced the decision superseding the earlier notification of the President for appointment of Justice Khawaja Mohammed Sharif as judge of the Supreme Court and Justice Saqib Nisar as acting Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court.The Prime Minister also announced that Justice (Retd) Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday who retired as judge of the Supreme Court last month would also be appointed as ad-hoc judge of the Supreme Court for a period of one year. Gilani said the meeting was part of the consultative process for the appointments in the superior judiciary which has to be participatory, and consensus oriented. The Prime Minister said the government holds the judiciary in high esteem and shall implement all the decisions of the higher judiciary in letter and spirit. When asked whether the meeting would have any impact on the decision of the Supreme Court on the NRO, he said the court decision would be fully implemented. About the courts verdict on appointment of Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Gilani said leave the decision about the NAB to the government. He said during the meeting important decisions were taken under which two permanent and one ad-hoc judge would be appointed in the Supreme Court and all vacant seats in the judiciary would be filled in immediately. He said the process for the elevation of judges in the Lahore High Court and the Sindh High Court was finalized and appointments would be made after observing procedural requirements.Gilani said the outcome of meeting was in the best interest of the nation and would bring more stability to the system. To a question, he said both the executive and judiciary were working in the ambit of constitution and there would be no need to apply the law of necessity.According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister House, the meeting took stock of institutional framework as enshrined in the Constitution and it was reiterated that the rule of law forms the basis for the functioning of all the state organs to ensure greater welfare of the people. It was agreed that in order to achieve this goal the process of consultation among the pillars of state should be constructive and meaningful.It was decided that judiciary would be further strengthened to provide cheap and immediate justice to the public at their doorsteps.The Chief Justice of Pakistan said the judiciary would continue to play its role for upholding the rule of law and constitution to strengthen the democratic system for the greater glory of Pakistan.
