Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has taken notice of a lawyer, Yousaf Saleem, not being selected as a civil judge by Lahore High Court (LHC) allegedly over being visually impaired, according to a statement issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The notice was taken on an article, titled “Blind Man’s dream to be judge gone dark” by Umar Cheema, published in The News on April 22, and DawnNewsTV's programme “Zara Hut Kay” aired on April 23.

According to the statement, the media outlets reported that Saleem, a gold medalist from University of Punjab in LLB (Honors) who topped the written examination of the Civil Judges conducted by LHC in 2017 among 6,500 candidates, was not selected in the interview on the grounds that he had a different ability, i.e. “blindness”.

Justice Nisar, according to the statement, observed that a person can hold the post of a judge even if he/she is blind, provided he/she meets all the other qualifications. "It appears that in this case his fundamental rights under Articles 9, 14 and 25 of the Constitution, the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ratified by Pakistan in year 2011, the 3% quota under the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance, 1981, and the jurisprudence developed by the Lahore High Court in PLD 2017 Lahore 406 and PLD 2017 Lahore 1 were not considered by the Lahore High Court," reads the statement.

The CJP has referred the matter to the LHC chief justice and the relevant committee of the high court for reconsideration of Saleem as a candidate and to give its opinion.

Meanwhile, Saleem expressed his gratitude to the CJP for taking notice of the matter after DawnNewsTV's programme was aired and said that he will "play his role dutifully for the provision of justice, if appointed as a civil judge".

Opinion

Editorial

United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.
System failure
Updated 12 Nov, 2024

System failure

Relevant institutions often treat right to internet connectivity with the same disdain as they do civil and political rights.
Narrowing the gap
12 Nov, 2024

Narrowing the gap

PERHAPS a pat on the back is in order for the ECP. Together with Nadra, it has made visible efforts to reduce...
Back on their feet
12 Nov, 2024

Back on their feet

A STIRRING comeback in the series has ended Pakistan’s 22-year wait for victory against world champions Australia....