ISLAMABAD: The eight-member Parliamentary Committee on judges' appointment has declined to endorse one-year extension of service of four of the 24 additional judges of the Lahore High Court recommended by the Judicial Commission on January 22.

But the committee extended the service of LHC's 20 additional judges, two of the Peshawar High Court and one of the Sindh High Court.

Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, the chairman of the committee, declined to explain reasons for not accepting the extension of term of the four judges. “It was an in-camera meeting and I am morally bound not to say a word about what transpired at the meeting.”

Under Article 18 of the 18th Amendment, the PC is bound to explain reasons for the rejection of names recommended by the Judicial Commission. Sources here said that the rejection was apparently made on the basis of intelligence reports sought by the committee and complaints received from the Lahore High Court Bar Association against the four. In a letter to the Judicial Commission, the SCBA president has also complained about the conduct of some additional judges.

The PC meeting on Wednesday was attended by Senators Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of the PML-Q, Ishaq Dar of the PML-N and Sabir Ali Baloch of the PPP and MNAs Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan (PML-N), Ghous Bux Mahar (PML-Q), Aftab Shahban Mirani and Asma Arbab Alamgir (PPP).

The committee had on Tuesday approved the names of Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Amir Muslim Hani of the Sindh High Court as judges of the Supreme Court. Senior-most puisne judge Justice Mushir Alam will replace Justice Osmany as Chief Justice of the SHC.

Those who were not granted extension are Syed Mazhar Ali, Mohammad Yawar Ali, Mamun Rasheed and Muhammad Farrukh Irfan.

The additional judges of LHC who got extension are: Justices Sagheer Ahmad Qadri, Nasir Saeed Sheikh, Shaikh Najamul Hasan, Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmad, Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Sardar Tariq Masood, Ijazul Ahsan, Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Chaudhry Mohammad Tariq, Chaudhry Shahid Saeed, Rauf Ahmed Sheikh, Ijaz Ahmad, Muhammad Khalid Mehmood Khan, Shahid Hameed Dar, Muhammad Anwaarul Haq, Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan, Muhammad Qasim Khan, Ali Akbar and Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu.

Two additional judges of the PHC are Justice Sajjad Hussain and Justice Yahya Afridi. The SHC judge is Justice Ahmad Ali Sheikh. —Staff Reporter