LAHORE, April 8: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that prosecutors assisting the government in legal matters cannot apply for the recently-advertised posts of additional district and sessions judge.

The bench decided this while dismissing identical petitions filed by seven lawyers against the objection the LHC placed to their eligibility for the examination for the slots.

The LHC had rejected petitioners’ applications raising objection that they did not fulfill the requirements for the posts. The bench also ruled that a high court could not entertain a petition against itself and in the instant petition the petitioners were seeking remedy from the high court against the objections placed by it.

Liaquat Mumtaz, Khyzar Hayat, Muhammad Akram, Riaz Rahi, Humayon Aslam, Tariq Zubair Zulqarnain and Muhammad Ali Qureshi had filed the petitions against the objections to their candidature. Mumtaz, Hayat and Akram’s petitions were dismissed because they were serving as prosecutors and the posts were specified for the bar.

The bench observed the prosecutors did not fall within the parameters of the bar.

Hussain was also counted out as he had been working as a research assistant with Attorney General Malik Qayyum. Aslam was found ineligible because he represented the Anti-Narcotics Force.

The LHC rose objection against Zulqarnain that he had left the post of civil judge during this year and at least one-year gap was essential to apply for this post.