MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Senior Puisne Judge, Justice Shahid Bahar, took oath as the acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday during an oath-taking ceremony held at the President’s House, Muzaffarabad.
Acting President Azad Kashmir Chaudhry Latif Akbar administered the oath to him. The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran and Naat.
Secretary of the Presidential Affairs Sardar Shahid Ayub performed the duties of the stage secretary. Draftsman of the Law Department, Raja Zahid Mahmood Khan, read out the notification.
The ceremony was attended by Law Minister of the Azad Kashmir Government, Mian Abdul Waheed, Judge Kot Sardar Muhammad Ijaz Khan, Retired Chief Justice Supreme Court Syed Manzoor-ul-Hassan Gilani, Retired Chief Justice Supreme Court Chaudhry Ibrahim Zia, Retired Chief Justice High Court Sadaqat Hussain Raja, and Retired Judge High Court Sardar Habib Khan.
Former Law Minister Abdul Rashid Abbasi, High Court officers, Judicial officers of the subordinate judiciary, Advocate General, Additional Advocate General, Assistant Advocate General, Vice Chairman Bar Council, members of the Bar Council, officials, and members of the Supreme Court Bar, High Court Bar, and Central Bar, along with civil society leaders, also participated.
On May 7, the AJK Law Department notified the appointment of Justice Shahid Bahar as the acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The notification stated that the senior-most Judge Justice Shahid Bahar will perform the duties of the acting Chief Justice during the leave of Chief Justice Sardar Liaquat Hussain, who has gone on a foreign visit.
It said that this appointment has been made under Article 43-A of the Interim Constitution of 1974 and will come into effect after the oath.
