Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its judgement on the maintainability of a petition that requested the court to activate the Supreme Judicial Council’s (SJC) proceedings.

The court was also requested to unveil the number of pending references against the judges of superior courts.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali took up the appeal challenging the objections of registrar office over the petition.

Appellant Raheel Kamran Sheikh appeared before the CJP in his chamber and requested Jamali not to hear the case as he also holds the SJC chairman’s office.

However, Justice Jamali observed that a detailed order would be issued against the registrar office’s May 6 order wherein the petition was returned with objections.

Talking to reporters, the petitioner said that the CJP inquired as to how the in-camera proceedings pending before the SJC could be disclosed.

Responding to which the counsel pleaded that he is not seeking detailed information regarding proceedings against judges rather every citizen has a fundamental right to access information of all matters relating to public importance envisaged under Article 19-A of the constitution.

Sheikh pleaded to disclose the basic information regarding the ‘total number’ of references pending before the SJC.

The petitioner also contended that the SJC has hardly been functional since its formation.

The petition also contended that it may be in the public interest to withhold information about the nature of any particular complaint to avoid scandalising a judge until he serves.

The petition read further that there is no justification in withholding information regarding the total number of complaints instituted in council. The petition said that both the bar and the bench have voiced their concerns about the state of affairs, adding that the Pakistan Bar Council in its meeting on June 13, 2015 had also adopted a resolution requesting the SJC to decide references currently pending before it on merit and without further delay.