President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment and confirmation of additional judges for various high courts. The president gave his assent on Tuesday after the recommendations remained pending for several days.
The approvals cover the Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court, Peshawar High Court, Islamabad High Court and Balochistan High Court.
The development follows recommendations made by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). The commission is responsible for recommending appointments to the superior judiciary.
President Approves Additional High Court Judges
The Presidency confirmed that President Zardari had approved the appointments.
“The president has approved the appointment of additional judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC), Sindh High Court (SHC), Peshawar High Court, Islamabad High Court, and Balochistan High Court,” the Presidency said.
The president also approved the confirmation of certain additional judges as permanent judges. These confirmations concern additional judges of the Sindh High Court and Lahore High Court.
The decisions clear a pending stage in the appointment process for judges across the high courts.
Judicial Commission Recommendations Had Been Pending
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan recommended the appointments on July 20 and 21. However, the recommendations remained pending after being forwarded through the constitutional process.
The JCP had recommended the confirmation of four additional judges of the Peshawar High Court. It also recommended a six-month extension for an additional judge of the Sindh High Court.
Meanwhile, the commission proposed 19 additional judges for four high courts. These appointments covered the Lahore, Islamabad, Sindh and Balochistan high courts.
The recommendations therefore involved both the confirmation and appointment of judges.
Constitutional Process Behind the Appointments
The recommendations followed the procedure outlined under Clause 8 of Article 175-A of the Constitution. Under this provision, the JCP’s recommendations were forwarded to the prime minister.
The prime minister then sent the summary to the president for approval. However, the summary remained pending with the president after reaching the Presidency.
The pending recommendations were eventually approved on Tuesday.
Five High Courts Covered by the Decision
The latest approvals involve five high courts across Pakistan. The Lahore High Court is among the courts receiving additional judges. The Sindh High Court is also covered by the appointments.
The Peshawar High Court and Islamabad High Court will also receive additional judges. Meanwhile, the Balochistan High Court is included in the decision.
The president has also confirmed certain additional judges of the Lahore and Sindh high courts as permanent judges.
The approvals follow the JCP’s earlier recommendations and complete the presidential stage of the process.
With the president’s assent now granted, the appointments and confirmations can move forward under the established constitutional framework.
