SCP staff data case fixed for hearing by apex court on Sept 27

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has fixed the appeal for hearing against a decision of the Islamabad High Court in which it has refused to disclose details of apex court employees, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.  

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa will hold the hearing on September 27 at a petition demanding information about the staff of the apex court and recruitments made to fill the vacant positions.

Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan will join the bench.

In April 2019, a citizen namely Mukhtar Ahmad filed a request to the Supreme Court of Pakistan under the Right of Access to Information Act, commonly referred to as the Right to Information (RTI) law, seeking information about the sanctioned strength of SC staff from BS-1 to BS-22, vacant positions, daily wagers, posts created after January 1, 2017, persons with disabilities and transgender working in the apex court.

The citizen approached the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) as the Registrar of the Supreme Court refused to provide details to the citizen.

The Information Commission had ordered the Registrar Supreme Court to provide the required information to the citizen.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to overrule a decision of another judicial forum that has ordered complete disclosure of the apex court’s entire workforce.

SC Registrar filed a review petition against the order of the PIC.  

The Islamabad High Court had annulled the decision of the Information Commission.

The citizen had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on September 21 this month against the decision of the Islamabad High Court.