LHC bars accountability court judge from work

A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday barred Lahore Accountability Court-III Judge Syed Ali Hassan Rizvi from working as a petition has been filed challenging his appointment. The bench consisting of LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu also sought a report and parawise comments from the Punjab law secretary within 10 days. The order was issued on a petition filed by Muhammad Shahzad challenging Rizvi’s appointment by terming his appointment as judge of an accountability court against the National Judicial Policy (NJP).
On Monday, the petitioner’s counsel said that Rizvi was working as a judge at Lahore Accountability Court-III until October 2010, when he retired from service. After two days of his retirement, the judge was again appointed through a notification in sheer violation of the NJP, the petitioner’s counsel said.
Quoting the NJP, the petitioner’s counsel said, “Instead of appointing retired judges/judicial officers as presiding officers of the special court/tribunal, qualified serving judges be appointed against these posts in consultation with chief justice of the high court”. He said that according to information, appointment of the respondent as a judge was opposed to by the then LHC CJ, as it was contrary to the policy. He requested the court to set aside the notification of the respondent’s appointment by declaring it illegal.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Additional Deputy Prosecutor General Haroon Rashid requested the court to grant time to file the reply. The bench would hear the matter again after two weeks.
LHC transfers, posts 28 AD&SJs across Punjab: The Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice on Monday transferred 28 additional district and session judges (AD&SJs) across Punjab. 19 judicial officers were transferred and posted as AD&SJs after promotion from the position of senior civil judge.
According to a notification issued by the LHC Registrar Sohail Asghar, Misbah Khan was transferred from Nankana Sahib to Sheikupura on promotion, Shahid Sikandar from Khanewal to Chunian, Rana Zahid Iqbal from Jhang to Lahore, Muhammad Ashiq from Jhelum to Bhurewala, Ghulam Abbas from RY Khan to Piplan, Muhammad Afzal Khan from MB Din to Bhakkar, Arif Mahmood Khan from Rawalpindi to Kasur, Muhammad Arif Khan from TT Singh to Sammundri, Muhammad Amer Habib from Sialkot to Sheikhupura, Muhammad Zahid Ghazanavi from Sahiwal to Khanewal, Muhammad Nadeem Shaukat from Lahore to Multan, Naeem Ahmed from Kasur to Multan, Rai Muhammad Nawaz from Pakpattan to Gujranwala, Muhammad Arif Hameed Sheikh remained in Lahore, Muhammad Aslam Gondal from Islamabad to Jaranwala, Muhammad Ijaz ur Rehman remained in Attock, Muhammad Ramzan from Hafizabad to Lahore, Muhammad Naeem Sheikh from Vehari to Kabirwala and Qamarul Zaman from Rajanpur to Gujranwala. All the above mentioned judicial officers were recently promoted from senior civil judges to AD&SJs.
AD&SJ Muhammad Bakhsh Masood Hashmi was transferred from Sadiqabad to Pakpattan Sharif, Ali Raza from Lahore to Sadiqabad, Mansab Ali from Sheikhupura to Khairpur Tamewali, Muhammad Naveed Iqbal from Sammundri to Gujjar Khan, Rao Abdul Jabbar Khan from Lahore to Bhakkar, Zulfiqar Khan Nasir from Bhakkar to Faisalabad, Pervez Iqbal Sipra from Faisalabad to Lahore, Tariq Mahmood from Jhelum to Lahore and Mumtaz Hussian from Lahore to Jhelum.
All the judicial officers shall assume charge of their new offices on or before June 6. Four posts of AD&SJs along with some posts of ancillary staff were transferred, one each from Sub-division Jatoi, District Head Quarters (DHQ) Multan and Sub-division Alipur, DHQ Kasur and were allocated at Sub-division Chunian and Sub division Khairpur Tamewal. The LHC chief justice also posted Pakpattan Sharif Class-1 Civil Judge Muhammad Yasin Shaheen on promotion as senior civil judge, at Sahiwal in place of Muhammad Zahid Ghaznavi. The LHC posted Muhammad Yousaf district and session judge awaiting promotion, as the LHC officer on special duty.