ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court issued a statement on Tuesday expressing regret over the inaccurate and sensationalized reporting of a private conversation between Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and journalists. This conversation occurred after a ceremony on Monday.
The press release, signed by CJP’s Secretary Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad, clarified that the CJP’s comments, made off the record, were given undue attention, distracting from more critical institutional matters.
During the post-ceremony interaction, some journalists asked the CJP about a potential extension of his tenure. The CJP shared that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had previously discussed a proposal to make the CJP position a fixed tenure post for three years. The CJP stated that if the proposal was individual-specific, he would not accept it. Senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan were also present during this exchange.
The CJP was also questioned about the Parliamentary Committee’s role and the proposal to increase the number of judges due to a growing caseload. The CJP responded that while it was parliament’s prerogative, he hoped the opposition would not be excluded. He also noted that it was preferable to first fill existing vacant positions before considering adding more judges.
The statement concluded by noting that during the ceremony, various legal officials, including the AGP, vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, and the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, were invited to speak and share their perspectives.
