The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, has approved the inclusion of five new judges in the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, alongside additional appointments to the Lahore High Court (LHC) and Sindh High Court (SHC).
According to sources, the commission confirmed the appointment of Justice Hashim Kakar, Justice Aamir Farooq, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Shakeel Ahmed, and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar to the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench by a majority vote.
However, Justice Muneeb Akhtar and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, along with PTI members Ali Zafar and Barrister Gohar, opposed the decision. All four members voted to include all the judges of the Supreme Court in the constitutional bench, the sources added.
Additionally, the commission approved four new judges for the Lahore High Court: Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Tariq Mahmood Bajwa, Abhar Gul Khan, and Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh. Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan secured the highest number of votes with 14, followed by Tariq Mahmood Bajwa with 12, Abhar Gul Khan with 11, and Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh with 10.
Furthermore, three judges have been nominated for the constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court, including Justice Riazat Sahar, Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhambhro, and Justice Abdul Hamid.
The meeting also discussed potential additional appointments to the Lahore High Court, with eight district and sessions judges currently under consideration.
