ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan will meet on December 2 to review appointments of judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts. The commission will review nominations for the Supreme Court and the top posts of the Sindh High Court and the Balochistan High Court. The meetings will take place in a series of back-to-back sessions at the Supreme Court building in Islamabad.
According to the agenda of the JCP meetings, the first session will begin at 1:30 pm in the Supreme Court’s conference room. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi will chair the meeting in his capacity as JCP chairman. The commission will review the names of Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb for permanent elevation to the Supreme Court. Officials expect detailed discussions due to the significance of the appointments.
Review of Candidates for Sindh High Court Chief Justice
The second meeting will start at 2:00 pm, and in this session, the commission will consider the three most senior judges of the Sindh High Court. The candidates include acting Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, and Justice Mahmood A Khan. The commission will decide on the permanent appointment to the position of SHC chief justice. The deliberations hold major importance for judicial continuity in Sindh.
Balochistan High Court Leadership Also Under Review
The third meeting is scheduled for 2:30pm. The commission will examine the names of the top three senior judges of the Balochistan High Court. Acting Chief Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail, Justice Iqbal Ahmed Kasi and Justice Shaukat Ali Rakhshani are being considered for permanent appointment as BHC chief justice. The decision will impact the administrative direction of the province’s highest court.
FCC to Hear Appeals Filed by Five IHC Judges
Meanwhile, the Federal Constitutional Court will take up a separate set of important intra-court appeals next week. Five sitting judges of the Islamabad High Court filed these appeals against a Supreme Court verdict that upheld the legality of transferring judges to the IHC. A six-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan will hear the appeals on November 24. Other members of the bench include Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice KK Agha, Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Ali Baqir Najafi, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice Arshad Hussain Shah.
