Two former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice (retired) Mushir Alam and Justice (retired) Maqbool Baqar, have declined the request to serve as ad hoc judges in the Supreme Court. In contrast, reports suggest that Justice (retired) Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice (retired) Sardar Tariq Masood have expressed their willingness to accept the roles.
The issue surfaced when Justice (retired) Alam wrote a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, who also heads the Supreme Judicial Council responsible for these appointments. In his letter, a copy of which is available with The Friday Times, Justice Alam expressed his gratitude for the consideration, stating, “It is an honour to be recognised for my legal expertise and contributions to society as a humble member of the bench.”
However, he regretfully declined the appointment, citing personal commitments. He explained that after being unlawfully removed from the Sindh High Court (SHC) in 2007, he established Vision Trust and an eye hospital in Karachi to treat the visually impaired. Although he was reinstated to the SHC in 2008 and later served as its Chief Justice before joining the Supreme Court, he decided to continue his philanthropic work.
After retiring, he registered the trust as the Vision Health Care Foundation and acquired 15 acres of land in Pindi Gheb to set up a Comprehensive Disability Management Centre. This long-standing commitment influenced his decision to decline the ad hoc appointment.
Justice Alam concluded his letter by expressing his high regard for the Judicial Commission and the Supreme Court, confident that the institution would maintain its standards of justice and integrity.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my long and cherished judicial career, serving on the bench for over 22 years to the best of my abilities,” he said, indicating that he had no intention of returning to that career.
