Three judges 'recommended' for SC elevation

ISLAMABAD: The names of at least three judges Friday were recommended by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for elevation to the Supreme Court, Geo News learnt from sources.

According to the sources, the JCP finalised the three names for consideration by the Parliamentary Committee during a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa.

The names which have been proposed for elevation to the apex court include Lahore High Court Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Aqeel Abbasi, and LHC Justice Shahid Bilal, as per the sources.

CJP Isa had, last month, convened the JCP meeting for deliberations over the appointment of three judges in the SC.

The JCP was constituted under the 18th Constitutional Amendment mandated to appoint judges in the superior judiciary.

It was tasked to consider names of nine judges, including LHC chief justice and SHC chief justice, for filling the three vacant posts in the apex court.

Chaired by the CJP, the meeting was to be attended JCP members —Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahaya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice (retd) Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazir Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and Pakistan Bar Council representative advocate Akhtar Hussain.

As per the Constitution, the actual strength of judges of the Supreme Court is 17 while at present the apex court only has 14 judges including the CJP.

The three posts are to be filled after the retirement of former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial and resignations of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.