High Court Chiefs Send Judge Nominees to JCP
ISLAMABAD: The process for filling vacancies in Pakistan’s superior judiciary has moved into a decisive phase after chief justices of high courts sent nominations to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan for additional judges. The development comes as the JCP prepares to consider appointments across several high courts under the revised rules governing judicial selections.
The commission had invited names for 10 additional judges in the Lahore High Court, five in the Sindh High Court, five in the Balochistan High Court and three in the Islamabad High Court. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi had sought recommendations from JCP members by July 4 after consultation with the chief justices concerned.
A major focus of the nominations is the Lahore High Court, where Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has reportedly proposed 11 names. Among them are five serving law officers, a move that legal circles view as unusual because of the scale of official law officers being recommended together for elevation to the bench.
The names linked to the LHC include Advocate General Punjab Amjad Pervez, Prosecutor General Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah, Prosecutor General Islamabad Capital Territory Ghulam Sarwar Nihung, Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dugal and Deputy Attorney General Asad Bajwa. Other nominees include Shireen Imran, Muhammad Ajmal, Kashif Rajwana, Usman Ghani, Ameer Ajam Malik and Khalid Bin Aziz.
The development has also triggered discussion over the role of opposition members in the commission. PTI Senator Ali Zafar, a JCP member, said names had been sent for the Sindh High Court but that it had been difficult to find people willing to be considered for other courts. Legal observers believe some lawyers are reluctant to accept nomination from opposition members because they fear such recommendations may not secure enough support.
For the Sindh High Court, Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput has reportedly recommended Sessions Judge Suresh Kumar, advocate Humayun, advocate Sara Malkani, Additional Advocate General Zeeshan Adhi and former Additional Advocate General Saulat Rizvi. The inclusion of a minority-community candidate has drawn attention because Pakistan has not had a member of a minority community serving as a judge in the Supreme Court or any high court since the 18th Amendment.
The Balochistan High Court nominations include Saleem Lashari, Manzoor Shah, former Supreme Court Bar Association president Mian Rauf Atta, Rehmat Barech, Amir Lehri and Mallag Dashti. While some lawyers have praised Dashti’s criminal law credentials, the Balochistan Bar Council has objected to two of the proposed names, indicating that the selection process may face scrutiny from the legal fraternity.
For the Islamabad High Court, Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar has recommended Umair Majeed Malik, former advocate general ICT Ayyaz Shaukat and Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand. Separately, Pakistan Bar Council representative Ahsan Bhoon is said to have proposed Wajid Gilani for the IHC and Shan Gul for the LHC.
The appointments matter because they will affect the functioning of courts dealing with constitutional, civil, criminal and administrative cases across the country. A shortage of judges has long contributed to delays, while the composition of high courts is closely watched by lawyers, political parties and litigants because of the judiciary’s role in major public-interest and political cases.
Under the amended JCP framework, a committee of commission members will now interview the nominees before the final stage of consideration. The next step will be critical, as the commission’s eventual decisions will determine which candidates move forward and whether the process strengthens confidence in judicial appointments at a time when Pakistan’s legal system remains under intense public attention.