The president of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Yahya Afridi, welcomed on Monday the transfer of judges to the Superior Court of Islamabad amid the opposition of the legal fraternity, qualifying the measure as a “fair opportunity” for the judges of different provinces.
The Islamabad Bar Association, the Bar Association of the Superior Court of Islamabad and the Association of Lawyers of the Islamabad district, at a joint meeting yesterday, announced a strike in the District and IHC courts today to protest what they called what they called ” unconstitutional measures “that undermine the judicial and legal profession.
On Saturday, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the transfer of a judge of the Superior Court of Lahore (LHC), Judge Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, along with two others, to the IHC despite the opposition of five IHC judges. They warned in a letter to the best judges than their elevation as the president of the Supreme Court of IHC “would violate constitutional procedures and judicial norms.”
During the oathing ceremony of the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS) today, the CJP Afridi, while welcoming the transfer of judges, said that the IHC was not part of any region, but that it belonged to everything The country.
“The judges of other provinces should also have a fair opportunity,” said CJP Afridi.
Traditionally, the senior judge of Puisne of a superior court is appointed as the president of the Supreme Court. Even so, the JCP last year introduced new rules to avoid the criterion of seniority in the light of the 26th amendment. The commission proposed that the president of the Superior Court could be appointed among the panel of five senior judges.
More to follow