JCP considers appointment of judges to Supreme Court today

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will consider today (Thursday) appointment of five judges in the Supreme Court.

A JCP meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial in the chair will be held today (Thursday) at Supreme Court at 2:00pm.

The JCP will consider the elevation of five judges to the apex court including Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan, Lahore High Court Judge Justice Shahid Waheed, and Sindh High Court’s Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Shafi Siddique and Justice Nimatullah. At present, there is a shortage of four judges in the Supreme Court, while on August 13, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah will also retire.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lahore High Court Judge Justice Shahid Waheed is fourth in seniority while Sindh High Court Judge Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi is fourth in seniority and Justice Shafi Siddique is sixth in seniority while Justice Nimatullah is seventh in seniority.

The JCP consists of nine members including Chief Justice of Pakistan being its chairman with four senior sitting judges of the Supreme Court, a retired judge, law minister, Attorney General and a representative from Pakistan Bar Council. The commission was constituted under the 18th Constitutional Amendment for the purpose of appointment of judges for the superior judiciary.

After the Commission recommends names for the appointment in the superior judiciary, the recommendation is then forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee which has the authority to approve or disapprove any name.

During the last meeting of the JCP, Pakistan Bar Council and other bar councils and associations protested against out-of-turn appointments of judges in higher judiciary.

Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) expressed concern over Judicial Commission of Pakistan meeting scheduled to be held on July 28 for elevation of judges to Supreme Court bypassing the seniority of judges at the SHC.

Adopting a resolution, SHCBA announced plans to observe strike on July 28 over ignoring the principle of seniority in appointment of judges to SC and in failing to devise a transparent criteria for the appointment of judges.