Vacant judge posts stall justice in PoGB's top court, Bar Association President raises alarm

The vacant positions for judges at the Supreme Appellate Court in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) have been hindering the delivery of justice to litigants, while relevant authorities seem indifferent towards the region's highest judicial institution, which is responsible for safeguarding the fundamental rights of two million citizens, as reported by Dawn. These statements were made by Muhammad Iqbal Advocate, the newly-elected President of the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association, during the oath-taking ceremony for the association's office bearers, according to Dawn.

The event was attended by Chief Judge Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan of the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court, Chief Judge Ali Baig of the PoGB Chief Court, Chairman of the PoGB Election Tribunal Mumtaz Ahmed, Gilgit Session Judge Ameer Hamzaza, among others, as reported by Dawn. Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan administered the oath to the newly elected officials of the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association. On this occasion, Muhammad Iqbal took the oath as president, Advocate Shakoor Khan as the general secretary, and Advocate Zakaria as the joint secretary. Mr. Iqbal mentioned that the appellate court has faced challenges due to the delay in appointing judges since 2012. He noted that the backlog of cases is growing in the court, negatively impacting litigants, as cited by Dawn.

The judge positions at the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court have been unfilled for the past eight years, he stated, adding that last month, the Supreme Court of Pakistan instructed the filling of two vacant judge positions in the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court. Mr. Iqbal expressed disappointment that the two vacant positions remain unfilled despite the Supreme Court's instructions, as highlighted by Dawn. He continued by mentioning that there are thousands of cases awaiting resolution in PoGB's highest court, causing distress for litigants. He pointed out that Chief Judge Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan of the PoGB Supreme Appellate Court is working to resolve cases that can only be addressed by one judge, as noted by Dawn. (ANI)

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