The Judicial Commission, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, has nominated nine judges for a constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court.
The decision, announced on Monday, comes after a majority vote during a Judicial Commission meeting in Islamabad.
Justice KK Agha has been appointed as the head of the constitutional bench and the constitutional committee. He will be joined on the committee by Justice Omar Sial, Justice Muhammad Saleem Jasser, Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, Justice Arbab Ali, Justice Yousaf Ali, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Sana Akram Minhas, and Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho.
The constitutional bench has been established for two months to address constitutional matters pending before the Sindh High Court.
Of all the commission members present, a majority of 11 voted in favour of the nominations. However, sources revealed that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, and the chief justice of the Sindh High Court dissented.
CJP Yahya Afridi refrained from voting either in favour or against the nominations, while commission members Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz were absent from the meeting.
Also Read: Justice Aminuddin Khan approved as head of constitutional bench
On Nov 5, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, approved the formation of a constitutional bench for the Supreme Court, with Justice Aminuddin Khan appointed as its head. This decision marks the commission’s first major action since the 26th constitutional amendment and reorganization of the Judicial Commission.
The meeting concluded with the approval of seven judges for the constitutional bench, representing each province. Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Aminuddin Khan from Punjab, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan from Balochistan, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi from Sindh, and Justice Musarrat Hilali from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa formed the bench.
The decision was passed with a 7-5 vote, with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, and PTI's Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz opposing the majority decision. The law minister, attorney general for Pakistan, and Pakistan Bar Council’s Akhtar Hussain, along with Farooq H Naik, Aftab Ahmed, and Roshan Khurshid Bharocha, voted in favour of the head of the bench.
