The Judicial Commission meeting was held with nine members in attendance under the chair of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi as two judges and two PTI members have boycotted the meeting.
According to sources, the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of Pakistan has been approved.
Who are the new judges of SC?
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Shafi Siddiqui, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Hashim Khan Kakar, and Peshawar High Court Justice Shakeel Ahmed have been approved for appointment as Supreme Court judges.
Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has been appointed as ad-hoc justice of the Supreme Court.
These appointments aim to complete the number of judges in the apex court and enhance judicial efficiency.
Sources indicate that the final approval for these appointments will be granted by the President of Pakistan.
The appointment of eight new judges to the Supreme Court of Pakistan was discussed, with a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) scheduled today (today) under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
New Ad-hoc Judge
Sources familiar with the development said Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb was appointed under Article 181 of the Constitution.
The Chief Justice had given his opinion on the appointment of Justice Mian Gul Hassan to deal with tax cases.
After becoming a temporary judge, Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb is out of the race for the post of Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, sources claimed.
Ad hoc judges are appointed for a specific period, there is no constitutional term for a temporary judge, according to sources.
The meeting was held in the Supreme Court’s conference room.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar boycotted the meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.
Both judges also wrote a letter to the Chief Justice to adjourn the meeting.
Barrister Gohar and Ali Zafar also protested against the continuation of the proceedings. Barrister Gohar and Ali Zafar made their protest part of the meeting minutes. Both members boycotted the proceedings after recording the protest.
The appointment process has been controversial for months due to disputes over seniority, leading to divisions within the judiciary. To address the matter, the JCP has sought nominations from the senior judges of all five high courts—Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Quetta. The meeting will determine whether these appointments will proceed immediately or require further deliberation.
The controversy escalated when four senior Supreme Court judges—Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Athar Minallah—wrote a letter to the Chief Justice, requesting a delay in the appointment process. In the letter, the judges argued that a full court might be needed for the upcoming case regarding the 26th Constitutional Amendment. They expressed concerns that appointing new judges at this stage could complicate the formation of the full bench.
Furthermore, the judges highlighted a constitutional issue regarding the transfer of three judges from the Islamabad High Court. They stated that, following their transfer, these judges should have taken a fresh oath, which did not happen, raising questions about their judicial status.
Meanwhile, Senator Ali Zafar also urged Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to postpone the meeting, citing the Islamabad High Court judges' seniority dispute. In his letter, Senator Zafar emphasized that the meeting should be delayed until the seniority issue is resolved, aligning with the earlier request from four Supreme Court judges.
The outcome of today’s meeting will determine the course of these judicial appointments and whether the ongoing dispute over seniority can be settled.
