Lawyer, columnist Babar Sattar recommended for post of IHC additional judge

ISLAMABAD: Popular lawyer and columnist, Advocate Babar Sattar, and Advocate Tariq Jahangiri have been recommended for the post of Islamabad High Court's (IHC) additional judge by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), Geo News reported citing sources.

The JCP, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, recommends the appointment and confirmation of the judges under Article 175-A of the Constitution, whereas the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Judges issues the endorsement.

Advocate Babar Sattar has in the past represented the Supreme Court judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, when a ten-judge full court heard his petition against the now-quashed presidential reference.

A reputed columnist, he has spoken about issues related to civil liberties, protests, and court rulings over the years.

According to Salahuddin Ahmed, the president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SCBA), Sattar "is one of the most qualified and upright advocates to be ever chosen for elevation as a judge”.

Sattar had earlier spoken to the Newsline magazine in an interview about the power of the judiciary and the judges' authorities. "There is a big debate around the world as to what judges can do in courts.

"And the argument is that they have soft discretion and hard discretion, meaning thereby that they can interpret words and that they have slight discretion in interpreting words in a certain way," he had told the publication.