CJP Isa wants SC strength completed

LAHORE: Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa said Thursday filling vacancies of judges in Supreme Court and High Courts was priority, and desired to see the Supreme Court completed.

He expressed these views while addressing the Supreme Court Bar at the Lahore Registry.

Chief Justice Justice Faez Isa said amendments to the High Court Rules were necessary before appointment of judges. A committee, headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, had been established for these amendments, the CJP said.

He asked the chief justices of High Courts to gradually complete the number of judges. “Appoint the judges as per the existing procedure or the new rules, but discuss it with the concerned”, he said.

The CJP said he had decided to spend a week at each Registry. Technology had limited the scope of the Supreme Court registries, he noted.

The CJP observed no bench should be less than for one week. “We will see whether to keep the video link or registry or both”, he said.

The bar and the bench were one, he said, adding he always preferred the elected representatives of the bar. “The process of creating a registry bench has been started from Lahore”, the CJP said.

President Supreme Court Bar Shehzad Shaukat arranged high tea in honour of CJP Qazi Faez Isa. Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Jamal Mandukhel, Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Aminuddin Qazi, Secretary Supreme Court Bar Syed Ali Imran Jafri, Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League Lawyers Forum Ch Naseer Kamboh, Member Pakistan Bar Council Tahir Nasrullah Waraich, Rashid Lodhi, Member Pakistan Bar Council Pir Masood Chishti, former Secretary Supreme Court Bar Safdar Tarar, senior lawyers Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, Saim Ali were among the others present on the occasion.