MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Monday notified the elevation of Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, Chief Justice of the AJK High Court, as judge of the region’s Supreme Court.

According to a law department notification, the elevation was made by the AJK President on the advice of the AJK Council and after consultation with the AJK Supreme Court chief justice.

Through a separate notification, the president appointed Justice M Tabassum Aftab Alvi, the senior most judge of the High Court, as Chief Justice of the High Court on the advice of the AJK Council and after consultation with the AJK Supreme Court Chief Justice.

The AJK Council is headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan as chairman.

Both notifications would take effect on and from the date when the learned judges take the oath of their respective offices.

Justice Mughal was inducted in the AJK High Court in Jan 30, 2002 as judge, where he rose to the position of CJ on Jan 4, 2010.

He was elevated to the three-member apex court against a post that fell vacant on Feb 24, following the retirement of its CJ Mohammad Azam Khan.

On Feb 19, last year, Justice Mughal was also appointed as AJK Chief Election Commissioner in addition to his existing duties for a term of three years, or till his retirement if that came earlier.

In that capacity he had conducted last year’s general elections, which were swept by PML-N.

Justice Mughal would be administered oath by Supreme Court CJ Chaudhry Muhammad Ibrahim Zia in the apex court building here on Tuesday.

On the other hand, Justice Alvi was inducted as high court judge on Feb 25, 2011.

Prior to that, Justice Alvi practiced for about 23 years in the AJK’s superior courts, mostly on constitutional side and in service matters besides conducting numerous cases in criminal and civil matters.

Approximately 400 cases conducted by him in the AJK courts have been reported in different leading journals of Pakistan.

Unlike most of his brother judges, Justice Alvi had never been a member of any political party during the days of his practice as lawyer.

He would be administered oath by President Sardar Masood Khan in the presidency at 11am on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2017