Prominent lawyer Babar Sattar recommended for post of additional judge at IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has recommended the appointment of Babar Sattar and Tariq Jahangiri as additional judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), sources informed Geo News.

Under Article 175-A of the Constitution, the commission recommends appointment and confirmation of the judges whereas the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Judges endorses these recommendations.

Advocate Babar Sattar has in the past represented the Supreme Court judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, when a ten-judge full court heard his petition against the now-quashed presidential reference.

A reputed columnist, he has spoken about issues related to civil liberties, protests, and court rulings over the years.

According to Salahuddin Ahmed, the president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SCBA), Sattar "is one of the most qualified and upright advocates to be ever chosen for elevation as a judge”.

In an interview to the Newsline magazine, Sattar spoke about the power of the judiciary and the judges' authorities. "There is a big debate around the world as to what judges can do in courts.

"And the argument is that they have soft discretion and hard discretion, meaning thereby that they can interpret words and that they have slight discretion in interpreting words in a certain way," he had told the publication.