QUETTA It was business as usual in the Balochistan High Court on Saturday in spite of the invalidation of the appointment of all five judges by the Supreme Court the previous day.

Amanullah Khan Yasinzai, the 'chief justice', attended office along with three other 'judges'. Nadir Khan Durrani, the fifth judge of the court, stayed away.

Justice Yasinzai, Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari, Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani and Justice Mehta Kalash Nath Kohli held meetings with officials of the High Court.

After the meeting a cause list was issued and two division benches were set up. The two benches will hear cases on Monday.

The cases of the five BHC judges were sent to the Supreme Judicial Council in accordance with the Friday judgment of the Supreme Court for taking oath under the PCO.

Meanwhile, Balochistan High Court Bar Association president Shakeel Ahmed Hadi has said that he had received the cause list issued by the 'chief justice' for Monday.

Two division benches — One of them comprising 'Chief Justice' Yasinzai and Justice Mehta Kalash Nath Kohli, and the other Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani — would be hearing the cases fixed for Aug 3.

Talking to Dawn on Saturday night to comment that whether the judges of BHC after the SC verdict could hear the cases on August 3, Mr Hadi replied in affirmative claiming that the judges were not restrained from work saying they would continue performing duty till the SJC decided their cases.

He said the judges who were appointed before Nov 3, 2007, would not be affected immediately as according to the verdict of the Supreme Court, the government would refer their cases to the SJC.