SC releases audio recording of JCP meeting

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday justified its statement and issued an audio of the other day of Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meeting for elevation of five judges.

In a statement issued here, the court held that the audio recording from time slot 1:29:45 to 1:38:08 contains the statement by the worthy Attorney General for Pakistan that the matters under discussion should be deferred to frame the appropriate rules.

“He did not assess or reject the merits of any of the High Court judges proposed for appointment to the SCP. As a result, five members of the JCP supported the deferment of the meeting as reported in the press note of July 28,” says the statement issued by Supreme Court Public Relations Department.

It stated that the audio recording was available on:

https://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/downloads_judgements/press_release/220728_2.mp3

The court further said that the version issued by its Public Relations Officer under the instructions of the Chief Justice of Pakistan/Chairman, Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meeting has been disputed by two judges of the SCP, namely, Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood. It further stated that a resulting controversy has therefore arisen in the print and electronic media.

“In these exceptional circumstances, the chairman JCP has been pleased to relax the restriction under Rule 5(4) of the JCP Rules, 2010 and has directed for the audio recording of the JCP proceedings of July 28 to be made available on the official website of the SCP,” the statement concluded.

Earlier, the Supreme Court’s Public Relations Department had issued a press release about the JCP meeting stating that after detailed discussion, it was proposed by the chairman JCP to defer the meeting in order to enable the Chief Justice of Pakistan to place additional information and data about those already proposed and if he considers appropriate, add more names to the list of proposees for consideration by the JCP.

It had further stated that the proposal to defer the meeting was supported by Justice Ijazul Ahsen, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice (retd) Sarmad Jalal Umsamy and the Attorney General of Pakistan.

“It was accordingly decided to defer the meeting and the date of the next meeting will be communicated to the Members of the Judicial Commission by the chairman, Judicial Commission of Pakistan,” the press release had concluded.

Later, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is also a Member of the Judicial Commission and had attended the JCP meeting via Zoom from Spain, sent a letter to the Chief Justice and members of JCP to release its decision to the media on the proposed names of five judges for their elevation to the Supreme Court.

Justice Isa had said that the eyes of the nation were on the JCP and they have a constitutional right to know what was decided. “Therefore, the Acting Secretary should immediately release this decision to the media, which will also stem unnecessary speculation and misreporting as the meeting was held behind closed doors,” Justice Isa had said.

On Friday, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood in his letter said that he came to know through newspapers that a press release had been issued by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, giving a totally different version of events from what actually had occurred during the meeting.