'What if these officials are convicted in the case tomorrow, don't you think this Supreme Court judgment has influenced the trial court proceedings?' Justice Ramday asked the counsel of the accused.—APP/File

ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed its own decision of granting post-retirement extensions to police officials accused in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto assassination case to serve for a period they remained suspended, thus jeopardizing the job of Director General Intelligence Bureau Shoaib Suddle, the main beneficiary of the earlier decision.

A five-judge bench comprising Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousaf and Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali had taken up the opposition of the federal government through a review petition against the court's own decision of June 12, 2008 giving post retirement extensions to police officials.

The federal government's review petition stood accepted after Advocate Ibrahim Satti, the legal counsel for Shahid Hayat, withdrew the appeal with the permission of the court.

Legal experts believed that the IB chief Shoaib Suddle, who otherwise reached superannuation age last year in June, technically stands retired unless re-hired again as a consequence of Tuesday's decision.

I could not enter the Supreme Court for almost two years but its compensation does not mean to ask for an extension in service after retirement, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday observed during the hearing.

The best remedy would be to claim the damage from the person responsible for the unjust act, which I will do after retirement, Justice Ramday said asking What if these officials were convicted in the case tomorrow, don't you think this Supreme Court judgment has influenced the trial court proceedings?

On Tuesday Deputy Attorney General Shah Khawar representing the federal government opposed the apex court's earlier decision saying it would open a new Pandora's Box of litigation.

Suddle was provided a notification on June 18 which said In pursuance of judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mohammad Shoaib Suddle, a BS-22 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan presently posted as provincial police officer, Sindh, will continue to remain in government service until further orders, subject to outcome of the review petition to be filed by government.