QUETTA, Sept 26: The Balochistan High Court Bar Association deplores the appointments of judges to the apex and high courts against the verdict in the judges case.

Association President Amanullah Kanrani stated this while speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday at the bar office.

He called for making such appointments on merit and seniority in the superior courts in future. Mr Kanrani also demanded for restructuring of the Supreme Judicial Council and said the Supreme Court Bar Association, Pakistan Bar Council and High Court Bar Association should be given representation in the council.

He referred the recent appointments of judges in the Balochistan High Court and said it had created a sense of deprivation and inferiority complex among senior lawyers and judges of the subordinate courts as none of the judges had been inducted in the High court from the interiors of Balochistan.

“There should be a representation from the interiors in the High Court,” he demanded, and added that only Quetta had been considered for the representation.

He called for abolition of ad hocism in the judiciary and urged authorities to establish a permanent Supreme Court bench in Balochistan. The province also needed a registry of Federal Service Tribunal and Federal Shariah Court, he added.

He told the newsmen that Rs20 million had been spent on Sibi Circuit Bench building which still remained incomplete, and the construction work was also of low quality. He demanded action against persons responsible for it and called for appointment of a permanent bench at Sibi.

In reply to a question about October’s election, the association chief claimed that it would be an engineered election, and its result had already been prepared. “People are also not taking interest in the election process as they know that it is an attempt to ensure participation of the army in power.”