News
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Govt to go ahead with appointment of Justice Javed as NAB chairmanBy Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: The government reiterated its decision to continue the process regarding the appointment of newly retired judge of the Supreme Court Justice (r) Javed Iqbal as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman.
A high official in the government revealed to Daily Times that as there was no constitutional bar on the appointment of Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal as NAB chairman even before the expiry of two years following retirement, the process would continue. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on Monday, said that the judges of superior courts, on retirement, receive reasonable compensation package as commutation and pensionary benefits and as such, financially, do not need to aspire for reemployment.
Lawyers are divided on this issue. One section of lawyers fraternity says that any retired judge should not be accommodated in any post. Another group says that if a judge can be appointed as ad-hoc judge after retirement, then he should be allowed to take up other posts. Talking to Daily Times, People’s Lawyers’ Forum President Raja Abdul Rehman also defended the appointment of the Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal as NAB chairman and said that there was no bar on his appointment as chairman NAB.
He said that former SC judge Rana Bhagwandas was also accommodated in the past. He also mentioned that Supreme Court Bar Association was not in favour of appointment of ad-hoc judges but that they were appointed in the past.
Addressing the opening ceremony of new Judicial Year 2011-2012 on Monday, the chief justice claimed that the constitution placed a bar on such reemployment, saying, “Article 207 of the constitution stipulates that a retired judge of superior courts shall not hold any office of profit in the service of Pakistan before the expiration of two years after his retirement. The National Judicial Policy also provides that the retired judges should maintain higher standard of decorum and should not accept a post which may lower their status or dignity. I should, therefore, expect that in keeping with the higher standards and decorum of the institution, the retired judges, who hold posts or positions which are impermissible under the constitution will review their position and relinquish the same to uphold the principle of independence of judiciary,” the CJP said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk