Extension in Additional judges tenure: SC suspends parliamentary committee's decision

The Supreme Court on Monday suspended decision of parliamentary committee, restraining it to issue any further notification as it had turned down recommendations of judicial commission for one-year extension in service to two additional judges of Sindh High Court.
A four-member larger bench headed by Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing petitions against parliamentary committee decision, which had rejected Judicial Commission recommendation for one year extension in the service of four Additional Judges of the Lahore High Court and two Additional judges of the Sindh High Court.
Additional Attorney General KK Agha told the court that the parliamentary committee is not a rubberstamp and it is not bound to accept all the recommendations made by the commission. He said that the petitions were not filed under Article 184 of constitution and no fundamental rights were affected, thus the court should reject the petitions. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja observed that if the case had no public importance, why the people had participated in movement for restoration of judges.
The counsel for petitioners, Makhdoom Ali Khan said the court should decide power of parliamentary committee and set a criterion about rejection of judicial commission's recommendations. The court while accepting all the petitions directed the counsel for the petitioners to start arguments on merit from Tuesday. Earlier on February 17, the court had suspended the recommendations of parliamentary committee rejecting one year extension proposed by Judicial Commission in the service of four Additional Judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC).