GILGIT, Nov 30: The Northern Areas High Court Bar Association has urged the federal government to appoint judges in the Supreme Appellate Court on regular basis, saying shortage of judges in the court is compounding the hardships of people and hampering smooth working of judicial system.

The association at its emergency meeting held under the chairmanship of its president advocate Amjad Hussain also passed a resolution against the proposed appointment of “controversial judges” in the region.

Office-bearers of the association said they would not accept those judges who took oath under the Musharraf’s PCO and criticised the plan of the government to induct those retired judges in the apex court of the area.

They said the bar association would not accept the proposal and launch agitation if any PCO judge was appointed in the Northern Areas judiciary.

The resolution further said that as the prominent lawyers of the Northern Areas were not considered for appointment in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and AJK Supreme Court, judges from outside the area should not be appointed in the area apex court.

The bar association demanded that the judges in the Northern Areas Supreme Appellate Court be appointed on permanent basis on the pattern of appointment in Azad Kashmir Supreme Court from the bar and bench.

The resolution said various provisions of the Regional Governance Order (as amended) 2004 pertaining to the appointment of the judges in the higher judiciary are against the spirit of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan and AJK Interim Constitution of 1974.

It is pertinent to mention here that under the provisions of Constitution of Pakistan 1973 and AJK Interim Constitution 1974, an eligible and qualified lawyer could be appointed directly as a judge in the apex court of the country and AJK, but such provisions are omitted from the governance order.