CJ-in-waiting

CJ-in-waiting – It was widely expected that the unending conflict within the ranks of the Supreme Court may usher in some unexpected development and that is precisely what happened when the coalition government notified Qazi Faez Isa, the senior pusine judge and the senior most judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan after incumbent CJ Justice Umar Ata Bandial, as the next chief justice on the retirement of the incumbent CJ in September 2023. This move appears to preclude possibilities of hindering the laid-down procedure of succession in the SC hierarchy as it was widely apprehended that since the rivalry between Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Umar Ata Bandial has entered into dangerous personal zone therefore it may provoke some untoward action that was feared to decisively damage the already fractious apex court. Many opine that this action was justified keeping in view the open spat in the court when the case of trying the accused on 9 May mayhem in military courts began to be heard by a 9-member bench. Others point out that the notification emboldened the dissenting judges to take their rivalry to another level. Despite varied opinion it is quite clear that the tense relations in the apex court led to this uncharitable action. The Weekender