Omar Ayub asks govt to name CJP’s successor

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan Monday demanded that the government immediately announce the name of the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

“As per the settled law, the government should immediately announce the new chief justice of Pakistan on the basis of seniority,” he said while speaking on a point of order in the House. He said it was time for the government to announce the successor to the current chief justice. He said they also wanted to condemn the de-seating of two PTI MNAs by the Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in an attempt to give two-thirds majority to the government in the House.

Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said the most senior judge was to be appointed as the chief justice of Pakistan. “The matter of appointing the chief justice of the Supreme Court can only be proceeded in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.

Tarar, however, said there was no such mandatory requirement for appointment of chief justices of the high courts. He said under the Constitution and laws, a senior judge from the high courts could be appointed as chief justice by the Judicial Commission and Parliamentary Committee.

He noted that a judge from the Lahore High Court, ranked fifth in seniority, had been appointed chief justice by the Judicial Commission. Omar Ayub also thanked Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for issuing production orders for Haji Imtiaz Chaudhry, allowing him to attend the session. “This is a commendable tradition, and I want to praise Ayaz Sadiq for it,” Ayub remarked.

The opposition leader condemned the Shahadat of personnel of security forces and passengers in Balochistan and the recent terrorist activities in Punjab’s Kacha area and called for dismissal of IG Punjab.

He said it happened because the Punjab police had become an undisciplined force, as it had been made to target the PTI leaders and workers and raid their homes. “No action should be taken against any SHO or constable but the IGP and other senior officers should be sacked,” he said.

He also announced that the PTI would hold a grand public rally on September 8 regardless of the circumstances. Earlier, at the outset of Monday’s sittings, the government and opposition parties adopted a unanimous view on Khatam-e-Nabuwwat (SAW) and the matter was sent to the standing committee on law and justice.