Islamabad, September 10, 2024-The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the unnecessary and inaccurate reporting of an off-the-record conversation between Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and journalists.
In a statement issued by the court, it was clarified that the conversation was reported incorrectly. During the off-the-record exchange, a journalist asked Chief Justice Isa about an extension of his term. The Chief Justice responded by mentioning that several months ago, the Minister of Law had met him in his chambers and informed him that the government was considering extending the Chief Justice’s tenure to three years.
The Supreme Court expressed disappointment that the off-the-record conversation had been unnecessarily and inaccurately reported.
The statement emphasized that Chief Justice Isa made it clear that if such a proposal was meant for an individual, he would not accept it. Attorney General and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah were also present during this meeting with the Minister of Law.
The Supreme Court’s statement further elaborated that the Minister of Law had raised the issue of the parliamentary committee’s role in the appointment of judges and suggested that the Judicial Commission and the parliamentary committee could be merged. In response, Chief Justice Isa stated that such decisions were at the discretion of Parliament, and he hoped that opposition members would not be excluded from any proposed new body for judicial appointments.
The statement also addressed a follow-up question by a journalist regarding a statement by Rana Sanaullah. Chief Justice Isa clarified that he had neither met Rana Sanaullah nor was he aware of his statement, suggesting that any questions about it should be directed to the relevant person.
Additionally, the Chief Justice was asked about increasing the number of judges, to which he responded that vacant positions should be filled first.
