JCP okays raising SC constitutional bench strength to 13

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Friday approved addition of five more judges to the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench, taking the total number of judges on the bench to 13.

The JCP also nominated four judges of the Punjab district judiciary for appointment as additional judges in the Lahore high Court (LHC) besides nominating three judges in the constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC).

Three meetings of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan were held here in the Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building. The first meeting was held at 2 pm to consider nominations for the appointment of additional judges from the district judiciary of Punjab for the Lahore High Court).

The second meeting was held at 3pm, considering the nomination of more judges for the Constitutional Benches for the High Court of Sindh while the third meeting of the Commission was held at 3:30pm to consider the nomination of more judges for the constitutional bench for the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

In the first meeting, the Judicial Commission nominated four district and sessions judges (DSJs) for appointment as additional judges of the Lahore High Court, by majority of its total membership.

The nominations included District & Sessions Judges Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh, Tariq Mahmood Bajwa, and Ms. Abher Gul Khan. The Commission unanimously decided that nominees who did not secure the required majority of the total membership of the Commission for finalization of their nominations this time may be re-nominated for future vacancies.

In the second meeting, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan by majority of its total membership, named three judges of the Sindh High Court for constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court. The judges included Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, Justice Abdul Hamid Bhurgri and Justice Nisar Ahmad Bhanbhro.

Similarly, the Judicial Commission in its third meeting by majority of its total membership, nominated five judges of the Supreme Court in its Constitutional Bench. The judges include three chief justices who were recently elevated to the Supreme Court from different high courts of the country. They are: Justice Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Justice Shakeel Ahmad, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

During the meeting, the chairperson decided to constitute the committees for setting criteria for appointment of judges of all high courts and also for nomination of judges for Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court and all high courts, says a press release issued here by the Public Relations Department of the Supreme Court.