Ashtar Ausaf Ali, the attorney general of Pakistan, expressed sadness at the ongoing debate around the JCP’s (Judicial Commission of Pakistan) proceedings. He stated that all nominations to the higher judiciary must be done on the basis of merit, according to a letter sent out late last night by the AGP office.
The letter said that at the aforementioned JCP meeting, the AGP wholeheartedly agreed with Judge Sardar Tariq Masood’s objections to the chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandialfive ,’s nominees for the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Iam appalled by the controversy arising from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (“Judicial Commission”) most recent hearings. In accordance with Articles 175 and 177 of the Pakistani Constitution, and in light of my steadfast belief that nominations to high judicial offices must be based on merit, it is essential that the necessary criteria be established for such appointments.
This will guarantee that promotions are made in the interest of the public and that the members of the Judicial Commission may confirm nominations in a spirit of cooperation and respect for one another.
During the Judicial Commission’s sessions on July 28, 2022, I had made the same suggestion to the deserving Members.
I praised the Honourable Justice Mr. Sardar Tariq Masood’s effort and endorsed his viewpoint while stating unequivocally that I concur with him. I choose not to discuss the merits of each nominee out of respect for decorum.
The Honorable Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, however, is excellently eligible to be considered for elevation to the Apex Court, and such elevations, in just about any case, must be undertaken against existing vacancies, no more and no less, I observed and continue to maintain.
