ISLAMABAD:
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has sought nominations for the appointment of new Supreme Court judges, with the process for submission of names open until July 4.
Sources told The Express Pakinomist that the commission is considering appointing 10 judges to the Lahore High Court, five to the Sindh High Court, five to the Balochistan High Court and three to the Islamabad High Court.
Under the new rules, each JCP member can propose names for judicial appointments until July 4, while commission meetings are expected to be scheduled after a 15-day period. Sources said the meetings are likely to be held in the third week of July.
Meanwhile, two opposition PTI members boycotted Friday’s JCP meeting where the rules on judicial appointments were approved, citing concerns over what they described as increasing executive dominance in the decision-making process.
Talking to The Express Pakinomist, PTI Senator Ali Zafar, also a JCP member, said the party chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, instructed him not to attend the meeting. However, he said no justification was given for the directive.
“I think we should have attended this JCP meeting,” said Senator Ali Zafar.
There exists a perception of a serious decision-making crisis within the PTI due to internal disagreements over participation in constitutional and parliamentary bodies.
On the other hand, the ruling coalition partners PML-N and PPP are said to have a dominant role in the commission’s decisions after the passage of the 26th Amendment.
Sources further said that more than three dozen judges have been confirmed in various high courts during the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.
However, legal observers note that the chief justice has not developed a clear strategy to reduce executive influence in judicial appointments.
It is also recalled that the transfer of three judges from the IHC to other high courts was not stopped despite objections.
Senior lawyers argue that Supreme Court judges remain crucial in the appointment process of superior court judges, especially to ensure balance and institutional independence.
During the JCP meeting on Friday, the commission approved a seven-member committee to conduct interviews of nominees and recommend the appointment of Supreme Court judges. However, the JCP postponed the matter regarding the formulation of rules for evaluating the performance of Supreme Court judges.
It decided to seek written comments and suggestions from the chief justices and senior most judges of all high courts – who are members of the commission – within seven days.
