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LAHORE, March 4: Five new additional judges of the Lahore High Court took oath on Monday at a ceremony boycotted by the LHC bar association.
The judges who were administered oath by Chief Justice Falak Sher in the LHC committee room, are Mr Pervez Ahmad, Chaudhry Iftikhar Husain, Mr Farrukh Latif, Syed Sakhi Husain Bukhari and Mr Rustam Ali Malik. They are all former accountability judges and have been appointed additional high court judges for two years.
Besides the LHC judges working at the principal seat, a number of federal and provincial law officers and lawyers attended the ceremony.
CHIEF JUSTICE: Talking to a group of reporters later in the day, the CJ affirmed that the appointments were strictly in accordance with the Constitution. There was no question of any elevation without consultation with him.
The five judges, he said, were recommended by him for cogent reason. He had met them once or twice but their record spoke for them. Their work and credentials distinguished them from the rest of their colleagues.
Lawyers, the CJ said, were entitled to their views, though he had been recommending lawyers in sufficient numbers. He replied in the affirmative when asked if a couple of lawyers were also recommended along with service judges as there were 12 vacancies in the high court.
LHCBA: The Lahore High Court Bar Association reaffirmed its resolve to continue to strive for the independence of the judiciary and restoration of democracy.
Criticizing the federal law ministry attempt to justify the elevation of five accountability judges to the Lahore High Court, it said the inter se seniority of service judges in the judicial service should not have been ignored only because some of them had been prosecuting politicians.
A statement issued by LHCBA President Chaudhry Muzammil Khan, Vice-President Khawar Ikram Bhatti, Secretary Shahid Mahmood Bhatti and Finance Secretary Tanvir Mahmood also condemned proposals to amend the Constitution, particularly the creation of more provinces.
It said the LHCBA would continue to struggle for the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution in the light of the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association and the Punjab Bar Council resolutions.
