The Judicial Commission of Pakistan on Monday deferred the appointment of two ad-hoc and one acting judge for an indefinite period, but recommended the names of eight additional judges for the Sindh High Court. Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry presided over the meeting that discussed the appointment of ad-hoc and acting judges. The names of Justice (r) Ghulam Rabbani and Justice (r) MA Shahid Siddiqui were proposed for the post of ad-hoc judges, while Justice Umar Atta Bandial, a judge of Lahore High Court, was recommended for the post of acting judge in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in view of the appeal likely to be filed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani against the seven-member bench judgment on contempt of court case. Before the meeting, an eight-member delegation of senior lawyers led by Akhtar Hussain, vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, met the chief justice of Pakistan and apprised him about the reservations of legal fraternity regarding the appointment of ad-hoc and acting judges in the apex court. Hussain told reporters after the meeting that the chief justice agreed to their suggestion. He said they urged the chief justice that before appointing ad-hoc and acting judges, the vacancy of permanent judge must be filled. He said if it was indispensable to appoint ad-hoc and acting judges in the Supreme Court, it should be considered after the filing of the appeal by the prime minister. Hussain said they also informed the chief justice that there were number of posts lying vacant in high courts, therefore these posts must be filled on priority basis.
