CJP asks high court CJs to nominate additional judges

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Qazi Faez Isa, has asked the chief justices of five high courts to nominate potential candidates as additional judges of their respective courts.

The chief justice on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum.

“If you consider appropriate, not all existing vacancies, if there are more than five, be considered immediately, as I am sure you too would want that proper deliberation takes place,” the chief justice wrote, saying the paramount object was to nominate the best possible candidates.

Justice Isa said the Supreme Court comprised 16 judges and the chief justice adding that after almost two and a half years, the Supreme Court started functioning at its full strength on 25 June 2024. The chief justice informed them that the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court was also made functional after the appointment of a second Aalim/scholar member on July 29th, 2024 and it heard cases after a break of four years. “Having fulfilled my responsibility, I now look to you to attend to the working of your respective High Courts and to consider suitable names for appointment of judges,” the CJP wrote.

Justice Isa further informed the high court’s chief justices that the rules of Judicial Commission of Pakistan were enacted in 2010, heeding the persistent demand of bar councils and bar associations to make the process of nomination transparent and democratic. “I had constituted a committee to propose amendments to the said rules,” the CJP further informed them saying the said committee submitted its report and a meeting was called on 3rd May 2024 for consideration of its recommendations. “I wanted the meeting to proceed; however, the meeting was postponed in deference to the wishes of the majority,” the CJP continued.

To consider the recommendations of the committee, the chief justice said a meeting had again been called.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa had convened a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on September 13.