Govt must write letter to CJP for naming retired judge: Wajih

Commission to probe Panama Leaks

ISLAMABAD: A leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Justice (R) Wajihuddin Ahmad has suggested that the government should write a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan asking him to nominate a retired judge to head the Judicial Commission to probe the Panama Leaks.

Talking to The News, he said nomination of a retired judge by the chief justice might provide a win-win situation for both the government and the opposition parties.

“It is not appropriate on the part of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to nominate a retired judge for the judicial commission because his family members are facing allegations in the context of the Panama Leaks,” he said.

Justice (r) Wajihuddin said the prime minister should avoid indulging in the nomination process and instead let the Supreme Court select the retired judge for the judicial commission.

He clarified that the track record of PTI Chairman Imran Khan should not act as a stumbling block in formation of the judicial commission, adding “his stance on the formation of the judicial commission to probe the allegations of rigging in 2013 elections was right, and he is also right in his current stance that the prime minister should not nominate the judge for the judicial commission,”

He said he twice contested presidential elections and also became member of a political party, so he never thought it appropriate to become member of the Ethics Committee as proposed by the interior minister.  

To a question, he said terms of reference for the upcoming judicial commission should include that the report of the commission would be made public without getting approval from the government.