AJK PM seeks names for hiring of tribunal chairpersons.

MUZAFFARABAD -- Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has sought names from the chief justices of the territory's superior courts for appointments of the chairpersons of the 'Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue' and the Environmental Tribunal.

The appointment of the Judicial Member of Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) is regulated under AJK Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (Appointment of Chairperson and Members) Rules 2020. The Judicial Member also happens to be the chairperson of the ATIR.

Under Section 130 (3) of the ordinance and rule 3 (h) of the rules, no person can be appointed as Judicial Member unless he has been a judge of the High Court or is or has been a district judge. Under rule 3 (6), the member is appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the AJK chief justice for a three-year term.

In a letter to AJK CJ Raja Saeed Akram, the prime minister stated that the law department had informed him that the post of the Judicial Member/Chairperson ATIR had been lying vacant from January last year following the appointment of the previous incumbent as judge of the AJK High Court.

The prime minister informed the CJ that since this position could not be left vacant as bulk of appeal cases involving state revenues to the tune of millions were pending before the ATIR, he should be sent a panel of...