They want to bring Gilgit-Baltistan into the constitutional stream by giving provincial status, but international conventions are an obstacle
Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman’s statement during the hearing of the GB judges appointment case in the Supreme Court.
India has usurped Kashmir, call the United Nations to come and hold a poll here, can this happen? Chief Justice’s question
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court referred the matter to the Judges Committee for the formation of a larger bench. The hearing was adjourned indefinitely.
Islamabad ( Web News )
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faiz Isa has remarked that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan do not know what their status is. India has usurped Kashmir, should we hold a poll here? Call the United Nations to come and conduct a poll. The Chief Justice while addressing Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman said that call the United Nations and a referendum will be held. ?, I don’t know, just asking you whether it can happen or not. Are the courts of Gilgit-Baltistan closed? Should we wait for the election of the Prime Minister of Pakistan or issue an order? Let’s see what instructions the new Prime Minister gives. Heard the applications filed with reference to the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court. The petitions were filed by former Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Khalid Khurshid Khan and others. In the petitions, the Federation of Pakistan has been made a party through Secretary Kashmir Affairs VJB Islamabad, Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice and others. During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Amir Rehman appeared and requested adjournment on behalf of the Attorney General. On this, the Chief Justice said that other parties listen to each other to understand the case. The Chief Justice said that the courts of Gilgit-Baltistan have been closed. The Additional Attorney General said that judges should be appointed in the GB Supreme Appellate Court and the Chief Court. The Chief Justice said that what is the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court? And what is the status of Gilgit-Baltistan? The Chief Justice said that what is the problem in this issue? Gilgit-Baltistan government lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan’s junior lawyer Saad Mumtaz Hashmi said that there is a problem of appointment of judges in the Chief Court and the Supreme Appellate Court. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has to approve the appointments. The Chief Justice said that there is a dispute between the Governor and the Prime Minister, is there a government in Gilgit-Baltistan or have elections been held there? The lawyer said that there is a government in GB, but the Chief Minister has changed. The Chief Justice said that there is no Prime Minister of Pakistan yet. Instructions may change. The lawyer said that the GB Supreme Appellate Court has a Chief Justice and two judges while the Chief Court has five judges, one of which is vacant. The Chief Justice said that should we wait for the election of the Prime Minister of Pakistan or issue an order? Let’s see what instructions the new prime minister gives? The Additional Attorney General said that it has been heard that the assembly session will be held on February 29. It would be appropriate to wait for the formation of the new government. The Prime Minister is the chairman of the GB Council. No. If so, then the matter will have to be referred to a three-member committee under the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill, 2023. Advocate General GB said that interpretation of Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018 is required. The Chief Justice said to give the date of March. Lawyer Muhammad Ibrahim said that the Supreme Court had given a decision regarding Gilgit-Baltistan in 2019, the decision of the seven-member bench is related to the case itself, the seven-member bench had issued an order regarding the appointment of judges till today. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that so much time has passed, if the decision of the seven-member bench had to be implemented, it would have been done. The Chief Justice said that the real stakeholders are the people of Tuglagit-Baltistan. The lawyer said that we have come to implement the 2018 order. Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman said that they want to bring Gilgit-Baltistan into the constitutional stream by giving it provincial status, but there is difficulty due to international conventions. During the hearing, India’s illegal occupation of Occupied Kashmir was mentioned, Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa said that now the parliament does not know what to do? The people of GB do not know what their status is, should there be a poll? . The Additional Attorney General said that the referendum can be done by the United Nations. The Chief Justice said that the United Nations should be called and the referendum will be held. The Chief Justice said that India has usurped Kashmir, should we hold a poll here, call the United Nations to come and conduct a poll. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said that the prohibition order given by the seven-member bench on the proposed order is also wrong. The Chief Justice said that we also issue a notice to the Gilgit-Bulistan Bar Council, listen to their position, let us sit here and take a decision and they will say that we do not want such a thing. Chief Justice Faiz Isa inquired whether the federal government has been formed. Who is the prime minister? Saad Mumtaz Hashmi, the assistant of the lawyer GB government Makhdoom Ali Khan, said that the government was not formed. While writing the order of the Chief Justice, he said that the new government was not formed after the February 8 elections. It would be appropriate to postpone the hearing of the case until the formation of the new Prime Minister and the Federal Cabinet. The Chief Justice said that the seven-member bench of the Civil Aviation Authority case should also be considered. The three-member bench of the Supreme Court referred the matter to the Judges Committee for the formation of a larger bench and issued notices to the Gilgit-Baltistan Bar Council and the Supreme Appellate Bar Association for judicial assistance. The Chief Justice directed all the parties to submit written submissions. The hearing was adjourned for an indefinite period.