GILGIT: The newly appointed chief judge of Supreme Appellate Court Gilgit-Baltistan Justice Dr Rana Shamim Ahmad Khan took oath of his office on Monday.

However, the lawyers associations boycotted the oath taking ceremony to lodge their protest against appointment of non-local judges in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Barjees Tahir administered the oath to the chief judge at Governor’s House in Gilgit.

The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Hafeez Hafizur Rahman, members of GB cabinet and judges of Supreme Appellate court besides chief secretary, politicians and senior officials.

The GB Supreme Appellate Bar Association, GB Bar Council, Chief Court Bar Association and district bar associations boycotted the ceremony.

The GB High Court Bar Association also suspended the membership of its four senior members for attending the ceremony. “The membership of former president of the association Manzor, former advocates general Asad Malik, Haq Nawaz and Umer Farooq has been suspended. They would not be able to appear in the court in future,” said Malik Kifayat, the president of the association.

“We had decided not to attend the oath taking ceremony of newly appointed chief judge but some of our fellows violated the unanimous decision,” said Advocate Essa, the president of Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Bar Association. He said that after the protest they would continue to work.

According to him the protest was confined only to the oath-taking ceremony. Shahbaz Khan, the vice president of GB Bar Council, said that the appointment of non local judges in GB was unconstitutional.

“Local judges are appointed in all provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir but non-local judges are appointed in GB,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2015

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