CJP administers oath to six new SC judges

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi Friday administered the oath of office to six newly appointed judges of the apex court in a ceremony held at the Supreme Court.

For the first time, the oath-taking ceremony was conducted in open air attended by the apex court judges, attorney general, lawyers as well as representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Pakistan Bar Council.

The chief justice administered the oath of offices to the newly appointed judges on permanent basis besides administering oath of office to one judge of Islamabad High Court as an acting judge of the Supreme Court.

Those six judges who took oath as judges of the Supreme Court are four chief justices of Islamabad, Peshawar, Sindh and Balochistan High Court and two judges of Peshawar and Sindh High Court.

They are former chief justice of Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, former chief justice of Balochistan High Court (BHC) Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, former chief justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Aamir Farooq and former chief justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

Likewise, former senior judge of Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and former judge of Peshawar High Court Justice Shakeel Ahmed also took oath as the apex court judges.

Likewise, Justice Yahya Afridi also administered the oath of office to Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, judge of Islamabad High Court, as acting judge of Supreme Court.

Earlier, the Ministry of Law and Justice had notified the elevation of these six judges to the Supreme Court after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, nominated their appointments as judges of the country’s highest court.

Similarly, the Ministry of Law and Justice had also notified the appointment of Islamabad High Court Judge Justice Miangul Hassan Aurnagzeb as acting judge of the Supreme Court.

Last week, two members of Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Barrister Ali Zafar, had left the proceeding of the Commission after their request for postponing of the meeting was not accepted.

They had contended that unless the seniority of judges of Islamabad High Court was determined, the meeting should be postponed.

Similarly, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, senior judge and member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, had also proposed postponement of the Commission meeting till the challenge to the 26th Amendment was decided one way or the other.

His proposal was also endorsed by Justice Munib Akhtar, another member of the Commission, but it was not accepted and consequently both the senior judges left the meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.

Earlier, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah along with other three judges of the apex court including Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Athar Minallah, had also addressed a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan for postponing the February 10 meeting of the Commission on the same plea.

In a related development, President Asif Zardari Friday administered oath to Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar as the acting chief justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a ceremony held here at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

According to an official notification, the president appointed Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar as Acting Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court with effect from the day he takes oath of his office till the appointment of a regular chief justice.

Amjad Safi from Peshawar adds: Justice SM Atiq Shah Friday took oath as the Acting Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC).

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to him in a swearing-in ceremony arranged at the Governor’s House.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PHC judges, lawyers, and other dignitaries attended the function.

The acting chief justice later met with the governor. Other PHC judges were also present.

Geo adds: Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori Friday administered the oath of office to acting SHC Chief Justice Junaid Ghaffar in an oath-taking ceremony in Karachi. His appointment was also notified by the law ministry.

APP adds: Justice Muhammad Ejaz Swati Friday took oath as the Acting Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court (BHC).

Governor Balochistan Jaffar Khan Mandokhail administered the oath to Justice Ejaz Swati at the Governor House, Quetta. The ceremony was attended by judges of the Balochistan High Court and senior lawyers.