Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has scheduled a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on April 8 to discuss the elevation of two judges from the Lahore High Court (LHC) to the Supreme Court.
During the meeting, the JCP will review the names of five senior LHC judges and select two for elevation to the apex court.
Earlier, four Supreme Court judges—Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Athar Minallah—wrote a letter to CJP Yahya Afridi, urging him to halt new judicial appointments until a verdict is reached in the 26th Amendment case.
The judges raised concerns that making new appointments at this stage could lead to controversy and affect the court’s credibility. They warned that such decisions might be perceived as “court packing” and could influence the outcome of the ongoing case. Additionally, they noted that the Islamabad High Court’s seniority list had been changed without judges taking the required oath, which is a necessary procedural step.
They called for a delay in new appointments until a ruling on the 26th Amendment case is issued and questioned the urgency of the process, highlighting concerns over potential external influence on judicial appointments.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has updated its seniority list following recent judicial appointments. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah now holds the position of the senior-most judge after CJP Yahya Afridi.
