SJC approached to initiate proceedings on reference against Justice Isa

Islamabad_The Judicial Commission will ponder over the name of Justice Musarrat Hilali for the post of PHC chief justice.

Justice Hilali is currently performing the responsibilities of acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.

Justice Hilali became the first female acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court when she took oath to the office on April 1.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered the oath of office to Justice Hilali who would remain as acting PHC CJ till the appointment of a regular chief justice by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.

Justice Hilali was elevated to the post after the retirement of Chief Justice Qaiser Rasheed. She is the second female who has become chief justice of a high court after Justice Tahira Safdar became chief justice of the Balochistan High Court.

Justice Hilali is among the senior-most judges of PHC. Born in Peshawar on August 08, 1961, she received Law Degree from Khyber Law College Peshawar University and enrolled as an advocate of District Courts in 1983, as an advocate of the High Court in 1988 and as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2006.

The Supreme Judicial Council has been approached to initiate proceedings on a pending reference filed against Supreme Court judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa,

A lawyer, Waheed Shahzad Butt, wrote a letter to the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council on Tuesday, pleading with him to fix the hearing of a reference which was filed against Justice Isa in September 2019 for his misstatement.

The lawyer further beseeched the SJC chairman to bring the facts to light after holding proceeding on the reference

Justice Qazi Faez issues clarification over attending Constitution’s Golden Jubilee event,

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a senior judge of the country’s top court, has issued a clarification of his appearance at an event held to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The clarification read: “All the Judges of the Supreme Court were invited to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (the Constitution).”

It adds: “Prior to accepting the invitation, inquiries were made as to whether there would be political speeches, and assurances were extended that only the Constitution and its making would be spoken about; the programme sent to me also confirmed this.

“Having cleared this point, first by my staff from the Deputy Director of the National Assembly, and then by me directly with the Speaker, I accepted the invitation as I wanted to show solidarity with the Constitution.

“I had been asked if I would like to speak and I had declined. However, when political statements were made (in a few of the speeches), I requested to speak to correct any misconceptions that may arise, and I did so.

“Surprisingly, some have objected to where I sat and/or my presence at the function to commemorate the Constitution. I would have preferred to sit in the hall on one side or in the gallery, but respect was shown to a member of the judiciary by seating me at the centre; I did not choose to sit there.

The calcification continued: “The Constitution was unanimously enacted by the peoples’ directly elected representatives at all ends political spectrum, which testified to their sagacity. It affirmed the Founder’s motto of achieving success; Unity, Faith and Discipline. It established that even the most intractable problems can be solved with sincerity and motivation when the peoples’ interest is kept paramount. I may add that the elected representatives of the people are deserving of all respect. Without the politicians of the All India Muslim League we would not have gained independence.

“The organizers of the Convention had invited all to commemorate a singularly important day in Pakistan’s history. The Golden Jubilee of the Constitution is a celebration of all citizens; it is not the exclusive domain of any particular political party or institution. The significance of the Constitution must be impressed upon all, and this should be done continuously.

“When Pakistan did not have a constitution enacted by the directly elected representatives of the people, the country broke apart. The lingering mistake was finally rectified 50 years ago and the peoples’ fundamental rights were recognised and enshrined in the Constitution. The salvation of all Pakistanis lies in adherence to the Constitution.

“Citizens are best served if seeds of discord are not planted. The making of the Constitution is one of the greatest moments in our history, which should be celebrated.”

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a senior judge of the country’s top court, has issued a clarification of his appearance at an event held to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The clarification read: “All the Judges of the Supreme Court were invited to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (the Constitution).”

It adds: “Prior to accepting the invitation, inquiries were made as to whether there would be political speeches, and assurances were extended that only the Constitution and its making would be spoken about; the programme sent to me also confirmed this.

“Having cleared this point, first by my staff from the Deputy Director of the National Assembly, and then by me directly with the Speaker, I accepted the invitation as I wanted to show solidarity with the Constitution.

“I had been asked if I would like to speak and I had declined. However, when political statements were made (in a few of the speeches), I requested to speak to correct any misconceptions that may arise, and I did so.

“Surprisingly, some have objected to where I sat and/or my presence at the function to commemorate the Constitution. I would have preferred to sit in the hall on one side or in the gallery, but respect was shown to a member of the judiciary by seating me at the centre; I did not choose to sit there.

The calcification continued: “The Constitution was unanimously enacted by the peoples’ directly elected representatives at all ends political spectrum, which testified to their sagacity. It affirmed the Founder’s motto of achieving success; Unity, Faith and Discipline. It established that even the most intractable problems can be solved with sincerity and motivation when the peoples’ interest is kept paramount. I may add that the elected representatives of the people are deserving of all respect. Without the politicians of the All India Muslim League we would not have gained independence.

“The organizers of the Convention had invited all to commemorate a singularly important day in Pakistan’s history. The Golden Jubilee of the Constitution is a celebration of all citizens; it is not the exclusive domain of any particular political party or institution. The significance of the Constitution must be impressed upon all, and this should be done continuously.

“When Pakistan did not have a constitution enacted by the directly elected representatives of the people, the country broke apart. The lingering mistake was finally rectified 50 years ago and the peoples’ fundamental rights were recognised and enshrined in the Constitution. The salvation of all Pakistanis lies in adherence to the Constitution.

“Citizens are best served if seeds of discord are not planted. The making of the Constitution is one of the greatest moments in our history, which should be celebrated.”