JCP names 9 lawyers as LHC addl judges

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) Thursday recommended nine advocates of the Supreme Court for appointment as additional judges to the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The JCP meeting was held here at the Supreme Court conference room under Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the commission chairman. The meeting’s agenda was to consider the nominations for appointment as additional judges to the LHC. The commission, with a majority vote, nominated nine SC lawyers for appointment as additional LHC judges.

Those recommended as the additional judges included Hassan Nawaz Makhdoom, Malik Waqar Haider Awan, Sardar Akbar Ali, Syed Ahsan Raza Kazmi, Malik Javid Iqbal Wains, Muhammad Jawad Zafar, Khalid Ishaq, Malik Muhammad Awais Khalid and Chaudhry Sultan Mahmood.

Earlier, the commission received 49 nominations, including four district and sessions judges, including Jazeela Aslam, who had also served as the SC registrar during ex-CJP Qazi Faez Isa’s tenure. Apart from Jazeela, three district and sessions judges including Qaiser Nazir Butt, Muhammad Akmal Khan and Ibhar Gul Khan were also recommended for appointment. Before commencement of the proceedings, the members collectively offered condolences on the passing of the wife of Akhtar Hussain, Senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan and Member Judicial Commission of Pakistan. The commission also decided that nominees who could not get recommendation for appointment, might be re-nominated for future vacancies.

CJP Justice Yahya Afridi also convened a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan for February 10 for considering the nominations for appointment of eight judges to the Supreme Court (SC). The commission has already summoned nominations of senior judges from five high courts of the country for appointing eight new judges to the SC.