SHC orders Govt to finalize accountability court judges within week

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the government to finalize names of judges for appointment at Karachi’s Accountability Courts within one week, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A bench of the Sindh high court headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh heard the case regarding vacant posts of judges in Karachi’s Accountability Courts.

The chief justice during the case proceedings asked the Federal Secretary of Law, who was summoned in the hearing, if federal secretary law could appoint a judge? “How could you appoint a judge,” the bench asked the secretary.

“Under which law you have given recommendations and what is your interest in these matters,” the chief justice asked the law secretary.

“You are a former judge but still unaware of the law,” the chief justice exclaimed.

“Here 350 references are in pending in accountability court,” the chief justice further said. “If you won’t appoint judges, we will start giving bails to the accused,” the chief justice warned the top official of the federal law department.

The chief justice directed the secretary to finalize names of judges’ for appointment within a week and inform the court.

The Sindh high court (SHC) adjourned further hearing of the case for one week.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, recently heard a suo moto case pertaining to delay in the proceedings of accountability courts.

During the course of proceedings, the court  (SHC) had directed the government to fill the vacant post in Islamabad’s Accountability Court in one week while two vacant posts in Karachi’s Accountability Courts within two weeks.

The court also directed the government to start the consultation process about two posts of Peshawar’s Accountability Courts which would be vacant in June.

The Deputy Attorney General said that the summary of the NAB courts in Quetta and Lahore would be forwarded to the President on Thursday.

The Chief Justice asked how many cases were pending in the accountability courts?

The NAB prosecutor replied that there were a total of 1226 cases being heard in accountability courts across the country.