The Supreme Court of Pakistan has lifted the stay on judicial appointments in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) after the federal Attorney General and the Advocate General of G-B reached a consensus on the appointment procedure on Friday.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, during the hearing of the case concerning judges' appointments in Gilgit-Baltistan, the G-B government withdrew its petition related to the procedure, prompting the apex court to end the injunction on the appointments.
A five-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, conducted the hearing on Friday.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar remarked during proceedings that the court must now resolve the issue of appointments, questioning how implementation could be expected on a proposed 2019 order.
Responding to the court’s observations, the Attorney General assured that all appointments would now be made under the 2018 Order, and confirmed that consultations had already taken place with the Advocate General of Gilgit-Baltistan on the matter.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, however, warned the Attorney General that any injustice in the process would lead to complications, urging transparency and fairness in all judicial appointments.
After hearing the arguments and receiving assurance from both sides, the Supreme Court adjourned hearings on other related petitions concerning judicial appointments in G-B for three weeks.
Reporter: Amanat Gushkori