Islamabad: The Parliamentary Committee on the Appointment of Judges, in a session held today, has granted approval for the elevation of judges nominated by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan to the Supreme Court.
Following a meeting convened in Islamabad, the committee endorsed the names put forward by the JCP, which included Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan of the Lahore High Court, Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi of the Sindh High Court, and Justice Shahid Bilal from the Lahore High Court.
Last week, the JCP had forwarded the names of three high court judges for consideration to fill vacancies in the Supreme Court, awaiting final endorsement by the Parliamentary committee.
The recommendations for the appointment to the vacant Supreme Court seats were made during a Judicial Commission meeting chaired by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, as per sources familiar with the matter.
Chief Justice Isa had convened the JCP gathering the previous month to deliberate on the appointment of three judges to the Supreme Court.
Mandated by the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the JCP is tasked with the selection of judges for the superior judiciary. It was directed to consider nine judge candidates, including the Chief Justices of the Lahore High Court and Sindh High Court, to fill three vacant positions in the apex court.
The meeting, chaired by the Chief Justice, was attended by JCP members including Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahaya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice (retd) Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazir Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, and advocate Akhtar Hussain representing the Pakistan Bar Council.
As per constitutional provisions, the Supreme Court’s current judge strength is 17, yet it presently consists of 14 judges including the Chief Justice. The three positions are set to be filled following the retirement of former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and the resignations of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
