ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the nomination of Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), pledging to launch a protest movement against the decision made by the Special Parliamentary Committee.
“As lawyers, we will oppose this nomination and initiate a protest movement,” PTI leader Hamid Khan told media following the parliamentary panel’s meeting, which PTI boycotted.
Despite his opposition, Khan expressed hope that Justice Afridi would decline the nomination for the chief justice position.
Meanwhile, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal dismissed the opposition’s claims of a “constitutional crisis” due to the committee’s decision to overlook the seniority principle in selecting the new CJP.
In an interview with Geo News, Iqbal argued that PTI appeared to be pushing its political agenda through a preferred nominee for the position. He defended the Special Parliamentary Committee’s choice of Justice Afridi, stating that the decision was based on merit. Iqbal added that bypassing the seniority principle was not unprecedented, citing past instances in appointments of high court chief justices.
He emphasized the need for strong leadership and statesmanship to resolve polarization within the judiciary, strengthen the judicial system, and foster unity in the institution.
The nomination came after two rounds of closed-door meetings by the parliamentary panel, with the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) boycotting the sessions in line with PTI’s political committee’s decision.
The parliamentary committee includes senators Azam Nazeer Tarar (PML-N), Farooq H. Naek (PPP), and Kamran Murtaza (JUI-F). National Assembly members from PML-N include Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Shaista Parvez, while Raana Ansar (MQM-P), Syed Naveed Qamar, and Raja Pervez Ashraf (PPP) are also part of the panel.
A statement from the National Assembly Secretariat confirmed the SIC’s decision to abstain from the meeting, despite efforts by a sub-committee—comprising Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Ansar, Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Kamran Murtaza—to persuade them to participate.
The government is under pressure to appoint the new CJP as the current Chief Justice, Qazi Faez Isa, is set to retire on October 25. Previously, the most senior judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, would have automatically succeeded him, but the process has been altered following the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
