photo: lahore high court
The Lahore High Court has given a final opportunity to the Punjab government to appoint judges. Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan directed the Chief Minister of Punjab and the Cabinet to issue a notification for the appointment of judges by the next hearing.
During a hearing on the Punjab government’s plea to transfer cases from Anti-Terrorism Court One Rawalpindi to another court, the Chief Justice emphasized that if the appointment notification isn’t issued by the next hearing, the Chief Minister should personally appear in court.
Advocate General Punjab informed the court that the government committee consulted the Chief Minister on the matter, and the Chief Minister prioritized it for the next cabinet meeting. However, the Chief Justice questioned why a special cabinet meeting wasn’t called or the issue wasn’t addressed through circulation before the hearing.
The Advocate General assured that the government committee members would be present within half an hour if the court orders. He also stated that the government had no objections to the names proposed by the high court for judge appointments. However, the Chief Justice pointed out that no notification regarding the judges’ decision was presented in court that day.
Consequently, the Lahore High Court adjourned the hearing until May 24th.
