AJK Council to resolve judicial crisis there, SC told The Daily Times, Feb 18

By Masood Rehman
ISLAMABAD: Attorney General Anwar Mansoor told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that a meeting of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council would be convened to resolve the “judicial crisis” in AJK.

A three-member Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing identical petitions against the appointment of the AJK chief justice. Appearing on notice, Attorney General Mansoor asked the court for some time to present the government’s stance on the issue, as the matter was to be discussed in an AJK Council meeting. The court accepted the request and adjourned the hearing until February 24.

Muhammad Akram Sheikh – counsel for one of the petitioners, Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani of the AJK Supreme Court – said a summary for the appointment of his client as the AJK chief justice had been sent to the AJK president, who appointed a junior judge instead. He said the summary was still pending in the council. “If the summary is there, there is no need for a meeting,” the CJP observed. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\02\18\story_18-2-2010_pg7_3