Ad Hoc Judges
The Supreme Court conducted a significant swearing-in ceremony today, formally appointing two new ad hoc judges.
Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel took their oaths in a formal event presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.
This ceremony, held at the Supreme Court’s premises, was attended by a notable assembly of legal professionals and court officers, marking the official induction of the two judges into their new roles.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath of office to both Justice Masood and Justice Miankhel, signifying their entry into the judiciary’s temporary ranks.
The appointment of these judges comes as part of an effort to address the Supreme Court’s need for additional judicial capacity.
The process leading to this swearing-in involved some initial reluctance from Justice Miankhel.
On Saturday, Justice Miankhel had initially declined the offer to become an ad hoc judge of the Supreme Court.
However, he later reconsidered and agreed to the appointment. This change of heart followed a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, which decided to revisit the issue after his initial refusal.
The appointments were officially sanctioned by President Asif Ali Zardari, who approved the induction of the two former Supreme Court judges as ad hoc judges for a term of one year.
This decision was reached after considerable negotiation and reconsideration, particularly given that several other nominees had turned down the position.
On July 19, the effort to appoint ad hoc judges encountered significant obstacles. Initially, three out of four nominated judges declined the offer.
Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel was among those who initially refused, following similar refusals from Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Maqbool Baqar.
Justice Baqar declined the offer a day after Justice Mushir Alam, who had also rejected the position.
Despite these hurdles, the Supreme Court has now successfully onboarded Justice Masood and Justice Miankhel as its newest ad hoc judges, aimed at bolstering the court’s capacity and efficiency.
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