LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) said on Friday the federal government had been delaying the appointment of judges at the accountability courts in Punjab without any valid reason despite the fact that its registrar office sent two letters to the Ministry of Law and Justice.

A statement issued by the LHC spokesman regretted that the presiding officers could not be appointed to the accountability courts as well as other ex-cadre courts despite the nomination of judges by Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan.

The chief justice had nominated judges for appointment in 14 accountability courts of the province and some other ex-cadre courts.

The LHC sent letters to the Ministry of Law and Justice on April 5 and May 20 last, respectively, in which judges had been nominated for ex-cadre courts, including three existing as well as five newly-established accountability courts of Lahore.

“But judges in the said ex-cadre courts have not been appointed so far,” the statement maintained and regretted that the federal government had been trying to give an impression that the appointment of judges in the three accountability courts of Lahore was being delayed by the LHC.

“While the fact is that the Lahore High Court had nominated judges for the said courts on the very next day when the services of judges from the said accountability courts were withdrawn,” it added.

The LHC said the final approval of the nominations was still awaited from the government, which was being delayed without any plausible reason. It said the appointments would be made soon after final approval from the federal government.

On March 31, the LHC had transferred 25 district and sessions judges (D&SJs) in the province, including those hearing corruption cases against Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the PML-N.

They include presiding judges of three accountability courts and a special court for control of narcotics substance, which was seized with a drug recovery case against former law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan.

References of money laundering/illegal assets, Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme against the family of Shehbaz, Paragon City reference against former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, his brother former provincial minister Khwaja Salman Rafiq and others, and a reference of assets beyond means against former defence minister Khwaja Asif are pending before the three accountability courts.

On May 19, the LHC also issued transfer and posting orders of 19 district and sessions judges in the province, including the presiding judge of a Lahore’s Special Court (Offences in Banks) who was hearing a pre-arrest bail petition of PTI’s estranged leader Jahangir Khan Tareen and others in an FIR relating to sugar scam.

The above mentioned references have not made any progress in the absence of regular judges and the duty judges have been issuing new dates only while adjourning the proceedings.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2021