ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, retired Justice Maqbool Baqar turned down an invitation to join the Supreme Court as an ad hoc judge, making her the second judge to do so in response to criticism.
Mushir Alam, a former Supreme Court judge, declined an offer to serve as an ad hoc judge for a three-year term a few days prior to his announcement.
On Friday, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will convene to discuss the appointment of four retired justices to the country’s highest court.Although the administration is adamant that more judges are required to hear cases that are still waiting, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the principal opposition party, has referred to the decision as “dishonesty.”
Justice (retired) Baqar stated in an interview with Geo News that he was choosing not to serve as an ad hoc judge for “personal reasons”.
He did, however, note that the complaint is “baseless” and that the nomination of ad hoc judges to the supreme court is in compliance with the law.
