Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Yaseen Azad on Monday suggested the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) nominate judges who were appointed with consultation of de-facto chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, but were removed later through a Supreme Court order. Talking to reporters at the Supreme Court building, he said the judges, who were appointed during the tenure of incumbent government and removed through the apex court’s July 31, 2009 verdict, could not be considered PCO judges.
He said if they were declared PCO judges, then objection could be raised on a couple of sitting judges, who were also appointed with the consultation of Justice (r) Abdul Hameed Dogar. He demanded the JCP to nominate judges on merit rather than nepotism. Expressing concern over shortage of judges in superior courts, he said of 39 posts of judges in the Sindh High Court, 25 were still vacant. He said of the 60 posts of judges in the Lahore High Court, posts of 25 judges were lying vacant and litigants were facing immense problems due to the shortage. Regarding the resignation of Peshawar High Court’s Justice Shahjahan Khan, who resigned on the contentions that his promotion was bypassed, Azad said the SCBA would take up the issue on the proper forum.
