SC hears LHC female judge non-confirmation case tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will hear a petition filed against non-confirmation of Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Erum Sajjad Gul tomorrow (Thursday).

A three member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah will hear the case will hear the case.

Justice (R) Nasira Javed Iqbal had filed a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution through her counsel Shah Khawar challenging the order passed by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, dated May 5, 2017 by non-confirming the service of Justice Mrs Erum Sajjad Gul of the LHC. She had prayed the apex court to set aside the impugned order of May 04, 2017, passed by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan to the extent of non-confirmation of Erum Sajjad and send the matter back to the respondent Judicial Commission for reconsidering her case and also for deciding the unanimous reference sent to the Judicial Commission by the respondent parliamentary committee in the larger interest of justice.

In her petition, Nasira Javed had contended that after serving for one year as judges of the LHC, the names of judges seeking confirmation were placed before the JCP in the 2016. The said judges included Justice Javaid Minhas, Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem, Justice Gulzar Awan, Justice Erum Sajjad, Justice Raja Shahid Abbasi, Justice Sheram Sarwar Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar.

The petitioner submitted that in its first meeting the JCP dropped the names of Justice Javaid Minhas and Justice Gulzar Awan and were of the opinion that Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem, Justice Erum Sajjad, Justice Sheram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sethi be confirmed while the other two judges be given a further extension of one year.