Treasury, opposition 'okay names' for judicial commission tasked with judges appointment

ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition and opposition have nominated their respective lawmakers the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which is responsible for nominating judges for constitutional benches in the Supreme Court and high courts.

Sources told Geo News that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari from the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui would represent the ruling coalition in the key body — reconstituted to include parliamentarians in light of the recently enacted 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — has named Senator Shibli Faraz and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub for the judicial commission.

Speaking to Geo News, Ayub confirmed the development, saying that his name for the key panel was forwarded by PTI founder Imran Khan.

“Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja informed us about the decision,” he said.

The opposition leader noted that the PTI leadership consulted the incarcerated former premier before finalising the names.

Meanwhile, the PPP has suggested two names — Bilawal and Farooq H Naek — for appointment as members of the judicial commission.

The PPP insiders told Geo News that the government has already two representatives in the judicial body — Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and AGP Mansoor Awan.

They said that the PPP forwarded two names in line with the government’s promise of equal representation in the committee. They added that the JCP would have two members each from PPP and PTI.

Earlier, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had sought nominations from the government and the opposition for appointment as JCP members.

As per the addition of Article 175A in the Constitution through the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the JCP to be headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, shall also consist of two Senators and two MNAs.

They would include one senator each from the government and opposition benches and one MNA each from both sides.

The Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate would send nominations for the body. The Senate chairman on receiving nominations from the government and opposition in the Senate would convey the same to the NA speaker.

The commission would also consist of three senior most judges of the Supreme Court, most senior judge of the constitutional bench, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, the Attorney General for Pakistan, an advocate not having experience of less than 15 years of practice in the Supreme Court to be nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council (for two years).

A woman or non-Muslim member of parliament qualifies to be a parliamentarian to be nominated by the speaker for two years will also be part of the key panel.

The Shehbaz Sharif-led government, with the assistance of allies including the PPP and the opposition JUI-F, passed the contentious legislation in both lower and upper houses of parliament, which changed the procedure for the appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), fixed the post's tenure, and formed constitutional benches.