PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Monday began the ‘save judiciary movement’ against the nomination of judges for the high court and observed black day by hoisting black flags and displaying banners on the court premises.

It announced its general body would meet today (Tuesday) to decide its future course of action on the matter.

In the day, the PHCBA office-bearers displayed banners with slogans against the nominations by the judicial commission and insisted names of the proposed judges were not acceptable to lawyers.

During a meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk on October 17, the Judicial Commission recommended four names for appointment as additional judges of the PHC.

The names were referred to the relevant parliamentary committee for approval and once that happens, they will be sent to the president for consent and notification. The commission has recommended lawyers Younas Taheem, Ghazanfar Khan and Haider Ali and senior district and sessions judge Qalandar Ali Khan.

PHCBA president Essa Khan and secretary general Ayaz Khan told reporters here that there were five vacancies of judges in the high court and the Judicial Commission had considered only five names for the posts and one out of which one was rejected and rest were approved.

They added that the judges named from among lawyers didn’t fulfil merit for appointment to the high court and that there were other suitable nominations.

The PHCBA office-bearers said during the lawyers’ movement, the association had rendered valuable sacrifices for the restoration of deposed judges. They said there should be cordial relationship between the bar and the bench but the bar was supposed to keep an eye on appointment to the superior judiciary to ensure that merit is not violated.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2014