PCO judges challenged in court

KARACHI - Sindh Bar Council (SBC) has challenged the PCO judges as well as the reappointment of the judges by former Chief Justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar by filing a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court, SBC vice chairman Mehmoodul Hassan disclosed the details about the petition here on Wednesday.
He was addressing a press conference at council office. He said that the purpose of taking this initiative was to continue the movements for the independent judiciary, despite reinstatement of the CJP Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, the judiciary is not independent, as the PCO judges are still present.
The PCO judges are posing stumbling blocks in the way of free judiciary, so they must be removed as they allegedly violated the constitution.
He also termed it illegal to increase the number of judges in the high court. He added that according to the constitution, only seventeen judges along with Chief Justice could sit in the court, but the government has increased their strength to 40 only order to accommodate the PCO judges.
He said that the same policy should be adopted in the Supreme Court as well as in high courts.
Similarly, the same standard should be adopted regarding appointments of the judges in all courts. He also made respondent to the PCO judges for taking the county on the edge of disaster.
He claimed that the judges, who were re-appointed after taking fresh oath on August 2008, are illegal.