His remarks came hours after the judicial commission named six high court judges for elevation to the Supreme Court. The chief justices of all high courts, except the Lahore High Court (LHC) were among the six judges nominated.
These included Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Aamer Farooq.
The Commission, also by the majority of its total membership, nominated IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb for appointment as the Acting Judge of the Supreme Court.
The JCP meeting came amid opposition voiced by four apex court judges and the former ruling party, following the recent transfer of judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Speaking during Tv talk show, Hamid said that there was no consensus in the entire process of the appointments, terming them a “unilateral selection”.
“Immediately, it may not be possible, but our struggle will be long. We will continue to stand against today’s appointment because there was only one vacancy…how could you fill seven or eight [vacancies],” he said.
He stated this while responding to a question as to what would be the lawyers’ next move against the SC judges’ appointments.
Responding to another question, the PTI Senator said the matter should not be heard by a constitutional bench but by a full court just like their demand for the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
“The matter is related to SC judges’ appointment…it is not linked with the formation of the constitutional court.”
Furthermore, he said, the people who abuse their powers and defy the rule of law don’t last long. “Our struggle may last six months or a year, the situation in the apex court and other high courts, is not workable.”
When asked if the full court would also consist of newly appointed judges, Hamid responded that they cannot be part of the bench because their “appointment would become disputed”.
“They cannot be judges in their own cause,” he said. Similarly, the matter cannot be heard by a constitutional bench, he added.
