LAHORE, March 13: The Supreme Court Bar Association would seek a full court hearing of its petition against the elevation of junior Lahore High Court judges to the Supreme Court, its office-bearers told a press conference here on Wednesday.

SCBA president Hamid Khan said the case against Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was heard by all the SC judges in view of its importance. In the present case, however, the three respondent judges should not be members of the bench. Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad would also be requested to abstain in view of his close relationship with the former CJ, Irshad Hasan Khan, who got the respondent judges elevated.

He said the SCBA would also move a petition against the amended Anti-Terrorism Act providing for appointment of military officers as judges. About the elevation of five accountability judges to the Lahore High Court, he said a time-honoured convention had been violated. Much before the 1996 Judges Case verdict, Justice Muhammad Ilyas was recalled from the high court and was replaced by Justice M.H. Sindhar, who was senior to him in the judicial service. Justice Ilyas was elevated on his turn the following year.

The SCBA, he said, adopted all 14 resolutions passed by the All-Pakistan Lawyers Representatives Conference in Lahore on March 9. The SCBA executive committee met the same evening and endorsed all the demands made by the conference, including removal of Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan and restoration of political activity.

About 100 lawyers from across the country have been registered for the Peace Conference being organized by the SCBA in Islamabad from March 29 to 31. Arrangements for the conference are in full swing.

SCBA vice-president M.A. Zafar, secretary Anwar Hameed and executive members Tariq Aziz Malik, Irshad Hussain Bhatti, Rana Abdul Hameed Talib, Chaudhry Abdus Sadiq and Chaudhry Amin Javed were present at the press conference.