One of the leading candidates was an instructor with the government’s Department of Manpower and Training for 18 years.
QUETTA:
The Balochistan Bar Council (BBC) on Saturday strongly condemned the ongoing selection process for appointments to the Balochistan High Court (BHC), terming the appointment of a long-serving civil servant for elevation an insult to the legal profession.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, BBC Vice Chairman Jadin Baloch, accompanied by senior leaders Munir Ahmed Kakar and Ayaz Khan Mandokhail, expressed deep resentment over what they termed as the bar’s complete exclusion from the consultation process.
They revealed that one of the top candidates recommended to the Chief Justice had been an instructor in the government’s Department of Manpower and Training for 18 years.
They argued that elevating a government employee directly to the bench of the High Court undermines the merit, position and tenure of independent lawyers practicing across the province. The BBC also expressed concerns about the wider implications of the appointment process for judicial independence.
It alleged that the induction of what it called “compromised individuals” was an attempt to fill the 15-seat BHC with compliant judges who would prioritize external directives over impartial justice.
According to the council, such appointments would erode public confidence in the judiciary and weaken the independence of the judiciary. In protest, the bar announced Monday a province-wide boycott of legal proceedings.
