ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: The process of administering a fresh oath to the judges of superior courts under the 1973 Constitution is likely to start within a week, with the administration of a fresh oath to the Chief Justice of Pakistan by the president.

A senior legal aide of the government told Dawn on Sunday that after the return of Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad from London, where he had gone to attend a conference, he would be administered a fresh oath under the Constitution by the president.

The chief justice in turn would administer a fresh oath to the judges of the Supreme Court, and the same pattern would be followed in the high courts, where governors would administer a fresh oath to the chief justices who would administer a fresh oath to the judges.

Sources in the law ministry hinted that some judges of the superior judiciary might not be invited to take a fresh oath.

They said that a couple of judges of the Supreme Court, who have been recently elevated, might be given the chop.

When the senior legal aide of the government was asked about the possibility of not inviting some members of the judiciary for oath, he said it was possible. However, he refused to identify the judges.

The names of those judges who would not be invited to take a fresh oath are being finalized by a group of senior lawyers associated with the government. Senior lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim, who is tipped to become adviser to prime minister on law and justice, is an important member of the group.

The issue of administering a fresh oath to the judges was decided at a meeting last week which was presided over by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali. The matter was put on hold as Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad was scheduled to attend a conference in London along with four other judges.

It is being apprehended that apart from two judges of the Supreme Court, three Lahore High Court judges and two Sindh High Court judges would not be invited to take a fresh oath.