A Full Court Reference was held in the Supreme Court on the eve of the retirement of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed on Tuesday.

The reference was attended by all the judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General for Pakistan, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and a large number of lawyers.

The Full Court Reference was addressed by nominated Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Attorney General of Pakistan and the SCBA representatives.

Justice Gulzar said he had performed his duties honestly as a judge throughout his career and also authored verdicts in the 4,392 cases as an apex court judge.  

Nominated Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that on the issue of appointment of judges in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed proposed the names of independent judges and he was honoured to initiate the first woman judge to the Supreme Court.

Justice Bandial said a Performance Audit must be conducted to identify weaknesses in the judiciary.

He also urged that all stakeholders must come together to resolve the problems of poverty, unemployment, and population growth.

He said the difference of opinion among judges in legal issues is an individual matter and yesterday’s minority decision can be today's majority decision.

Surprisingly, he said that people in the media, especially on social media, try to scandalize judges. And instead of criticizing the judges' decisions, they try to make them controversial, he said adding that the Bar Council will be consulted before the judiciary takes action.

SCBA President Ahsan Bhoon said that the judiciary is facing a serious crisis due to appointments contrary to merit. Bhoon said the bar associations have never compromised on the constitution and the rule of law.

He said an elected prime minister has been sent home for failing to comply with a court order. The petitions of the affected parties against the Punjab government were not heard, he added.

Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman Chaudhry said in his address that unfortunately most of the judges were not appointed as per required standards.

He demanded that the Judicial Commission Rules be amended to make the process of appointment of judges transparent. He expressed disappointment over turning down the bar's petition about the lifetime disqualification.

Addressing the Full Court Reference, the Attorney General said the burden of pending cases will be a major challenge for the incoming Chief Justice. He said no one could have imagined that a person violating the constitution would be run away after getting punishment.

Outgoing CJP Justice Gulzar Ahmed had taken the oath of his top post on Dec 21, 2019, replacing Justice Asif Khosa. Nominated CJP Justice Umar Ata Bandial will now take charge of his office tomorrow (Wednesday) February 02, 2022. Justice Bandial will remain in his office till September 16, 2023.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori