Islamabad:
The Legal Commission for Pakistan has approved the appointment of 10 additional judges to Peshawar High Court (PHC) by majority.
The decision, which was made during a commission meeting, conveyed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Saturday, includes the appointment of two district and sessions judges, Farah Jamshed and Inamullah Khan.
According to sources, seven of the approved nominations were presented by the PHC chief Ishtiaq Ibrahim, while each was recommended by federal law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator Farooq H Naek and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Representative Akhtar Hussain.
The meeting agenda originally included the appointment of nine additional judges, but PHC CJ, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, argued during the meeting that 10 judges were required.
CJP Yahya Afridi approved his vision, which led to the selection of 10 candidates out of the 40 40 nominations received.
Three Commissioners opposed the deviation from the original agenda and argued that on 18 January, nine additional judges were sought and agreements should follow the pre -determined schedule.
A member warned against putting a precedent that could interfere with future appointment processes.
The newly appointed judges include lawyer Muhammad Tariq Afridi, Abdul Fayyaz, Sabitullah Khan, Salahuddin, Sadiq Ali, Syed Mudasser Ameer, Aurangzeb and Qazi Jawad Ehsanullah.
The Commission’s official statement stated that candidates who failed to secure a majority vote may be reconsidered for future court appointments. CJP Afridi also expressed gratitude for Punjab Information Technology Board to help commission members through his web portal.
Sources revealed that none of the nominations made by PTI-affiliated Commission Members or the Minister of Provincial Law, secured a majority, which resulted in no additional judicial appointments from their recommendations.
With the approval of these appointments, the number of judges in Peshawar High Court will rise to 23. The court, which currently has 13 judges, is struggling with over 40,000 pending cases. The new agreements are expected to help speed up case resolutions.
Meanwhile, the Commission is set to convene again on February 10 to consider the appointment of eight new Supreme Court judges.
KP AAG ends
In a related development, Syed Kausar Ali Shah withdrew as additional lawyer (AAG) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), citing bias from JCP.
“The primary cause of resignation is the discrimination I endured from JCP, due to non-furnishing a statement of resignation from my membership with Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI),” the former AAG wrote in his resignation Was submitted to KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Sources said Shah, supported by PTI, stepped down after being overlooked for the position of additional judge in PHC.
“As a result, I no longer want to continue my services under the current state regime,” he added. In his letter, he thanked PTI founder Imran Khan for giving him the opportunities that “shaped his professional journey”.
