Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Following a presidential order, the registrar of the Supreme Court has officially amended the standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing leave and travel protocols for Supreme Court judges.
Under the revised SOPs, no judge of the Supreme Court may travel abroad without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), according to reports here on Thursday.
The new framework grants the CJP discretionary authority to approve or reject leave applications and even recall judges from leave if deemed necessary in the public interest.
According to the amended guidelines, all types of leave must receive prior approval with valid justification, judges must provide their current address and contact details during their leave period, and only official visits will qualify for protocol requests through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
