SC suspends tribunal’s decision regarding forced retirement of 13 lower judiciary judges
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the Judicial Tribunal’s decision regarding forced retirement of 13 judges of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lower judiciary.
A two-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the case and referred the matter to the judicial services tribunal for re-examining the case.
During the course of proceedings, the court directed the tribunal to decide the appeals filed by lower judiciary judges.
The court asked the Judicial Tribunal to review the issue of increased assets of judges along with Annual Confidential Report (ACR).
Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan observed that judge Shah Hussain’s assets increased threefold in two years.
He said that the assets of the judge increased from Rs 6.4 million to over Rs 350 million by the time he became a senior civil judge.
The counsel for judge Shah Hussain said that allegations of assets beyond means were not leveled in the show cause notice. He said that his client had mentioned the market value of his property in pro forma.
He said that the assets were the same but higher market value was mentioned. The Chief Justice asked where it was mentioned to describe market value of the assets.
Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan said that doubts about judge’s credibility were raised for consecutive three years.
The counsel said that the judicial tribunal gave decision and his client’s appeals were pending in the Peshawar High Court.
A committee of Peshawar High Court fired 13 lower judiciary judges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Judicial Tribunal changed dismissal decision into forced retirement.
The judges challenged the Tribunal decision in the apex court. - APP