Retired Justice Maqbool Baqir also declines ad hoc judge offer amid 'wrangling'
Pakistan
He says he is not joining the apex court for personal reasons
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Retired Justice Maqbool Baqir has declined to be part of the Supreme Court as an ad hoc judge.
In his statement on Thursday, he stated, “I am not joining SC as an ad hoc judge due to personal reasons.”
He is the second judge to have declined the position of ad hoc judge in country's highest court. Earlier, former Supreme Court judge, retired Justice Mushir Alam, refused to accept the ad hoc judge offer.
As for Justice Baqir, he asserted that “Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) is working with honesty and pure intentions. CJP’s decision to appoint ad hoc judges in the apex court is purely legal and constitutional.”
He disclosed that “Qazi Faez Isa had discussed this matter with him as SC is being overloaded with political cases.”
Baqir stated that thousands of cases were pending with the SC and appointment of ad hoc judges at this juncture was meant to sort out the issue of backlog.
He said Justices Tariq Masood Khosa and Mazhar Alam Miankhel were very competent and honest.
Justices Tariq Masood, Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Maqbool Baqir and Mushir Alam were named for appointment in the apex court as ad hoc judges but Baqir and Alam declined the offer.
JUSTICE MUSHIR ALAM
Retired SC judge Mushir Alam had earlier refused to work as an ad hoc judge for a three-year term.
In a letter to the Judicial Commission, Alam stated, “God has honoured me beyond my position...I am thankful to the Judicial Commission for the honour of being reappointed as an ad hoc judge."
He said he served the judiciary for 22 to 23 years and "is now engaged in welfare work". "Given the current circumstances, I am unable to serve as an ad hoc judge," he added.
On the other hand, retired Justice Sardar Tariq Masood has agreed to be part of the Supreme Court as an ad hoc judge. Another retired judge, Mazhar Alam Miankhel, also expressed his willingness for the ad hoc judge appointment.
On July 19, a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has been called to appoint four ad hoc judges in the Supreme Court "to reduce the backlog of cases and provide timely justice to the litigants."
PTI CHALLENGES MOVE
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) has announced that it will move the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to challenge the appointment of ad hoc judges in the apex court - a move which the party describes as "tantamount to denouncing the freedom of judiciary".
GOVT DEFENDS DECISION
Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, on the other hand, supported the appointment of ad hoc judges, saying the constitution allows it and the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, not the chief justice, appoints them.
