Another judge turns down offer ahead of JCP meeting to appoint ad hoc judges

• Miankhel turns down the offer due to personal reasons.
• He is the third judge to refuse after Alam and Baqar.
• PTI asks JCP to reject proposal to appoint ad hoc judges.

ISLAMABAD: Justice (retired) Mazhar Alam Miankhel on Friday declined an offer to become an ad hoc judge of the Supreme Court, sources told Geo News, becoming the third judge to turn down the proposal.

His refusal comes after Mushir Alam and Maqbool Baqar declined to be appointed for three years as ad hoc judges, which the Supreme Court said were needed to clear a backlog of cases.

Despite his refusal, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) huddle led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa approved Miankhel and Justice (retd) Sardar Tariq Masood appointments to the top court for a period of one year. 

"Justice (retd) Miankhel has decided not to accept the offer due to personal reasons," the sources familiar with the matter informed Geo News ahead of the JCP meeting.

It is also pertinent to mention that the former ruling party — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — had hours earlier asked the JCP to turn down a proposal to hire ad hoc judges as it may create concerns about the judiciary's independence.

The PTI has been raising concerns over the appointment of ad hoc judges, claiming that the move is aimed at targeting the party, while the government has supported the decision, saying it falls under the ambit of law.

While Alam noted that he was busy with philanthropic work post-retirement, Baqar opted out due to "personal reasons" and said that the criticism of the appointment of ad hoc judges was baseless.

In his letter to the JCP members, PTI's Omar Ayub said that he has "great concern" at the recent proposal to appoint ad hoc judges.

Ayub noted that he was writing the letter as the matter of the appointment was not being presented before the parliament's committee, therefore, PTI lawmakers did not have a platform to voice their concerns.

"I would strongly urge the Chairman and the members of the JCP to reject the proposed appointment of ad hoc judges to the Supreme Court as that may cause perceptions to arise in the public of attempts to influence and affect the independence of the judiciary."