AJK Bar Council calls for immediate filling of all much- awaited vacant judicial, constitutional positions in the State:

English , Kashmir - آزاد جموں کشمیر , Snippets , / Sunday, October 19th, 2025

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Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR ( AJK): Oct. 19: Azad Jammu Kashmir Bar Council has expressed grave concern over continual inordinate delay in fillings of vacant judicial and constitutional positions in Azad Jammu Kashmir, it was officially said by the Council.

Our Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports from Mirpur that the AJK Bar Council hosted an extra ordinary meeting of lawyers’ representatives here on Saturday expressing serious concern over the delay in judicial and constitutional vacancies and the problems of lawyers.

“All constitutional positions including Chairman Accountability Bureau, Chief Election Commissioner, Chairman Service Tribunal should be filled in within a next month”, the Council demanded.

According to details made available by AJK Bar Council to the media here on Saturday. the extra ordinary joint meeting of presidents and representatives of bar associations across Azad Jammu Kashmir was held in Mirpur on Saturday under the coordination committee of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bar Council.

The meeting was chaired by Muhammad Tariq Bashir Advocate, Vice Chairman Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bar Council, while Muhammad Nadeem Khan Advocate, Chairman Coordination Committee, conducted the proceedings of the meeting. The meeting was attended by Supreme Court Bar, High Court Bar, Central Bar Muzaffarabad, District Bar Mirpur, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bagh, Sadhanuti, Jhelum Valley, Neelum, Dhirkot, Dadial, Barnala, Chidhoi, Khoi Ratta and Representatives of all district and academic bar associations, including Tarakhal, participated enthusiastically.

The unanimous declaration of the meeting was later presented at a press conference at Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur. The unanimous declaration issued by the meeting said that “Delay in the appointment of judges in the judiciary, non-appointment on constitutional posts, and non-hearing of the legitimate demands of lawyers have badly affected the judicial system of Azad Kashmir. If the government does not take immediate steps, the Bar Council and all bar associations will launch a protest movement under a common plan of action.

” The meeting also expressed the determination that the lawyers of Azad Kashmir are united for the restoration of their professional autonomy, independence of the judiciary, and the justice system, and can adopt the path of peaceful but strong protest against any unconstitutional or unfair action. According to the decisions taken in the meeting,
Immediate appointment should be made to the vacant posts in the Supreme Court and the High Court so that the delay in the judicial system can end. High The delay in the appointment of learned judges in the court and the chairman and members of the service tribunal should be ended.

The appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Kashmir is facing unnecessary delays, this position should be filled immediately. Senior lawyers of Azad Kashmir should be given priority in constitutional and judicial posts; Appointments outside Azad Kashmir will be unacceptable. The establishment of the Judicial Academy should be implemented immediately so that the training of lawyers and judges and the performance of the court can be improved. The Lawyers Protection Bill, which has been pending between the Law and Finance Departments for two years, should be presented in the assembly and made into an act.

Appointments should be made immediately on the vacant posts of law officers. The privileges of law officers should be increased on the model of the Punjab province. Attempts to spread mistrust among the people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir by using the protest of the Public Action Committee as justification were condemned. The lawyers made it clear that they are always ready to sacrifice for a strong and stable Pakistan.

The AJK government was urged that the committee established to implement public demands must play an immediate role. The meeting expressed deep concern that the Azad Kashmir government has practically failed, therefore, coercion and violence should be avoided. If the Judicial Academy and the Lawyers Protection Bill are not implemented within a month, the lawyers’ organizations will be forced to take direct action.

There was another demand to include lawyers on priority basis in the recent appointments of district and sessions judges to 9 vacancies in all tribunals. The Chairman of the Bar Council, Tariq Bashir Advocate, said on this occasion that a meeting will be held soon with the leaders of the Joint Public Action Committee on other local issues.