Justice (r) Mushir Alam declines to become Supreme Court ad hoc judge

Former Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice (r) Mushir Alam has excused himself from becoming an ad hoc judge of the SC, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

In a letter to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), the ex-judge has said that The Almighty Allah gave him more respect than he deserved. “I am thankful to the commission for reposing trust in me.”

“But I was badly disappointed by the campaign launched on social media soon after I was nominated for the position,” he has said, adding, “Therefore, in view of the current circumstances, I excuse myself from working as an ad hoc judge.”  

On the other hand, quoting its sources 24News TV channel reported that Justice (r) Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice (r) Mazhar Alam Miankhel had expressed their willingness to serve as ad hoc judges, while Justice (r) Maqbool Baqar had still not intimated the commission about his decision.

The apex court has decided to appoint retired judges as ad hoc judges to decide over 54,000 pending cases.

The JCP — which appoints judges to superior courts — will meet on Friday for the purpose.

Presently, the SC’s strength stands at 17.

The official note issued for the JCP’s meeting forwarded by the Supreme Court registrar stated that despite best efforts, the cases continued to accumulate.

The CJP, in his note, stated that it would be appropriate to appoint experienced judges as ad hoc members of the court.

He added that such ad hoc judges can only be appointed if three years have not expired since their retirement.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori