LAHORE: Former president of Supreme Court Bar Association and head of lawyers’ professional group Hamid Khan on Tuesday expressed concern over the elevation of junior judges from different high courts to the Supreme Court.

Speaking at a press conference at the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Khan said the judicial commission (JC) should defer its meeting due to unavailability of its senior member Justice Qazi Faez Isa. He said the commission should wait for the return of Justice Isa from his ex-Pakistan leave.

Khan lamented that ‘favourite’ judges were being picked once again for the elevation to the Supreme Court by violating the criteria of seniority. He also questioned the JC for ignoring judges of other high courts and filling all vacancies in the apex court with the judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

He said the JC started appointing judges without consultation with the bar associations.

Pakistan Bar Council, the top body of lawyers, and bar associations have a consensus on the policy of seniority in the elevation of judges of the high courts to the Supreme Court.

In the recent past, the bar aggressively opposed the elevation of Justice Ayesha A Malik, who was fourth in the seniority of the LHC judges, to the SC. Now Justice Shahid Waheed, who is also fourth in the seniority of the LHC judges, has been proposed for the elevation to the SC.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2022