The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday resumed hearing in a case regarding appointment of judges at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), but Attorney General Irfan Qadir refused to give arguments, questioning why the bench resumed hearing on a public holiday.
As the hearing in the case resumed, Qadir did not appear before the bench, but the court ordered the attorney general to appear in court.
Later, Qadir arrived in the court but refused to give arguments, saying hearing on a public holiday was a unique example. To this, Justice Arif Khilji said a local holiday did mean a nationwide holiday, adding that there were clear instructions from the chief justice that the Supreme Court would function even on public holidays in cases of important issues. The federal government had announced a local holiday in Islamabad because of the D-8 Summit being held in the capital.
Upon arriving at the Supreme Court, Qadir told reporters that the Supreme Court, which was located in the Red Zone, should have followed the federal government’s decision of holiday.
He said it was against the narrative that the apex court was working despite an official holiday in Islamabad.
Qadir said he had come to the court after watching news reports. To a query, the attorney general said the question regarding the issuance of notification for the appointment of judges at the Islamabad High Court should be asked from the president, not him. Meanwhile, the Islamabad Bar approved a resolution condemning the delay by the government in appointing judges at the Islamabad High Court.
Two judges of the IHC stopped working on Wednesday after the expiry of their respective tenures. The retirement of Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and Justice Shaukat Aziz raised apprehensions about the smooth functioning of the court, as the federal government has so far not issued a notification on their extension despite recommendations by the Judicial Commission and the parliamentary committee on judges’ appointment.
