JCP approves new rules for judges’ appointment

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, who is also the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, chaired two consecutive sessions of the commission held at the Supreme Court on Saturday. The agenda for these meetings included the consideration of the proposed Judicial Commission of Pakistan (Appointment of Judges) Rules 2024 and extension of the period for the nomination of judges to the Constitutional Benches of the Supreme Court.

The first meeting began at 11am and lasted for 8 hours. During this session, the draft of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (Appointment of Judges) Rules 2024 was thoroughly reviewed. The commission also considered public feedback on the proposed rules. After extensive deliberations, the commission approved the rules with certain amendments. In the second meeting, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, by a majority vote, approved an extension of the period for the already nominated judges to the Constitutional Benches of the Supreme Court for an additional six months.

The first meeting was attended by Mr. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Judge of the Supreme Court; Mr. Justice Munib Akhtar, Judge of the Supreme Court (who attended via video link); Mr. Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Judge of the Supreme Court; Mr. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Judge of the Supreme Court; Mr. Justice Amir Farooq, Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court; Mr. Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Balochistan; Mr. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court; Mr. Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Chief Justice of the High Court of Sindh; Justice Miss Aalia Neelum, Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court; Mr. Justice Shujaat Ali Khan, Senior Puisne Judge of the Lahore High Court; Mr. Justice Ijaz Anwar, Senior Puisne Judge of the Peshawar High Court; Mr. Justice Muhammad Ejaz Swati, Senior Puisne Judge of the High Court of Balochistan; Mr. Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, Head of the Constitution Bench, High Court of Sindh; Mr. Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law; Mr. Mansoor Usman Awan, Attorney General for Pakistan; Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, MNA; Barrister Ali Gohar, MNA; Barrister Ali Zafar, Senator; Mr. Farooq Hamid Naek, Senator; Ms. Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, nominee of the speaker of the National Assembly; Mr. Sarfraz Bugti, Chief Minister/ Law Minister of Balochistan; Mr. Sohaib Ahmed Malik, Minister for Law of the Government of Punjab; Mr. Zia ul Hassan Lanjar, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs of Sindh; Mr. Aftab Alam Afridi, Minister for Law of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Mr. Shamshad Ahmed Bajwa, member of the Punjab Bar Council; Mr. Qurban Ali Malano, member of the Sindh Bar Council; Mr. Munir Hussain Lughmani, member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council; Mr. Muhammad Ayoub Tareen, member of the Balochistan Bar Council; and Rana Muhammad Tanveer, member of the Judicial Commission Islamabad (who attended via video link).

The second meeting was attended by Mr. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Judge of the Supreme Court; Mr. Justice Munib Akhtar, Judge of the Supreme Court (who attended via video link); Mr. Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Judge of the Supreme Court; Mr. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Judge of the Supreme Court; Mr. Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Law; Mr. Mansoor Usman Awan, Attorney General for Pakistan; Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, MNA; Barrister Ali Gohar, MNA; Barrister Ali Zafar, Senator; Mr. Farooq Hamid Naek, Senator; Ms. Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, nominee of the speaker of the National Assembly; and Mr. Akhtar Hussain, ASC.