LAHORE: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has recommended 44 names for the 25 vacant positions of judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC), with six nominees being the sons of former judges. Among the recommended candidates, five women lawyers are also included, though there is no representation from minority communities.
Interestingly, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, the first woman to hold the position of LHC’s top judge, proposed 21 advocates for elevation, including one woman, but notably, none were from the district judiciary of Punjab. Senior Supreme Court judge, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who previously served as LHC’s Chief Justice, suggested three district and sessions judges for promotion to the high court.
Chief Justice Neelum’s list includes notable figures such as Advocate General Khalid Ishaq, Additional Attorney General Hassan Nawaz Makhdoom, and several other prominent lawyers. Among her nominees are figures such as Malik Awais Khalid (son-in-law of former senator Dr. Khalid Ranjha), Chaudhry Sultan Mehmood, Haroon Dugal, and Shireen Imran, among others. Advocate Amjad Pervez, who is known for defending high-profile politicians against agencies like NAB and FIA, is also among the nominees.
Justice Shah’s recommendations feature district and sessions judges Qaiser Nazir Butt, Mohammad Akmal Khan, and Jazeela Aslam, who previously served as the first woman registrar of the Supreme Court. His list also includes Munawarus Salam (son of ex-CJ Abdul Shakurul Salam) and Barrister Qasim Ali Chowhan (son of late Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan).
As JCP members, PTI senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar and PPP senator Farooq H. Naek proposed several nominees. Zafar recommended Saqib Jillani (son of ex-CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani), Barrister Qadir Bukhsh (son of former justice Nasim Sikandar), and Huma Ejaz Zaman, while Naek nominated lawyers such as Haseeb Shakoor Paracha (son of ex-justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha) and Mujeebur Rehman Kiani.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also nominated four candidates, including LHC registrar Abher Gul Khan, Additional Attorney General Rana Asadullah Khan (brother of Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan), and Nawazish Ali Pirzada.
The absence of representation for minority communities in the nominations has raised concerns among senior lawyers, who have expressed disappointment that none of the nominees are from the minority groups. Additionally, the relatively low proportion of women nominees has sparked criticism.
The LHC has been functioning with 25 vacant judicial positions out of a total of 60. The last appointment of judges to the LHC was made in 2021. Sources indicate that the JCP is likely to approve 10 to 15 additional judges at its upcoming meeting on December 21.
