Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stalwart and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz has written a letter to the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, urging the JCP to reject the proposal for appointing ad hoc judges. Senator Shibli Faraz expressed concerns in his letter that the appointment of ad hoc judges gives the impression that the judiciary is being influenced for the benefit of a particular party. Senator Shibli Faraz emphasised that the appointment of ad hoc judges should not create the perception of balancing opinions against a specific party within the judiciary. The opposition leader in the Senate argued that pending cases cannot justify the appointment of ad hoc judges after the appointment of permanent judges.

He noted that the proposal for ad hoc judges came on the same day the Supreme Court ruled in favour of PTI with a 5-8 decision and that no transparent procedure was followed for the selection of ad hoc judges. He added that the proposed ad hoc judge, retired Justice Maqbool Baqar, held significant positions in the caretaker government while retired Justice Tariq Masood prolonged the military custody case of 100 PTI supporters, and retired Justice Mazhar Miankhel made remarks about invoking Article 6 against PTI leaders. Shibli Faraz highlighted that critical cases such as the civilian military trial, the February 8 election case, and the recent ban on PTI are pending in the Supreme Court. The senator mentioned that since the Al-Jehad Trust case, no ad hoc judge has been appointed for three years.

He stressed that the appointment of retired judges in such a situation raises serious and legitimate concerns. He stated that during the short tenure of the current Chief Justice, there has been no significant reduction in pending cases, so the matter of pending judges should be left to the incoming Chief Justice. PTI leader Shibli Faraz asserted that the people of Pakistan are stakeholders in an independent and unencumbered judiciary, and he represents the public, the Pakistan Bar Council, and several other bar councils. He said the appointment of ad hoc judges gives the impression of interference in the judiciary.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan