Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court (SC) has stressed the need for the appointment of SC judges on the basis of their seniority and competence, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday. 

In a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial, he has brought to his notice that the Pakistan Bar, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Judicial Commission members have, on several occasions, demanded changes in the rules governing the appointment of apex court judges.  

Giving an example of the violation of merit, he has said once a junior judge was preferred over the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice for his appointment as the SC judge. “Former CJP Justice Saqib Nisar had inducted junior judges in the court, saying that senior ones were not interested in becoming the SC judges,” he claimed.  

Justice Isa, in his letter, has said that people should be aware of details of the meeting held for the appointment of judges. 

He has objected to the promotion of SC Registrar Jawad Paul to the rank of Secretary Judicial Commission, arguing that a registrar is a government official who is appointed on PM orders. “Paul did not fix the cases filed against former prime minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders,” he has alleged, and said the registrar had also questioned the competence of some senior officials.                                   Reporter: Amanat Gishkori