ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi has summoned the meeting of Judicial Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad on 5th November.
Justice Afridi, the head of the Judicial Commission, will preside over the meeting, which will be the first meeting after the 26th constitutional amendment and the reorganization of the JCP. In the meeting, important progress is expected regarding the formation of constitutional benches.
Earlier in the day, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has appointed five members, including four parliamentarians and one woman, to represent the upper and lower houses in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).
The list of nominees was submitted to the Supreme Judicial Commission (SJC) through a formal letter, the NA Secretariat announced on Saturday.
The JCP, responsible for appointing judges to the Supreme Court, High Courts, and Federal Shariat Court, also evaluates the performance of High Court judges. This reformed commission now includes parliamentary members as part of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
From the lower house, PML-N MNA Sheikh Aftab and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub were nominated. In the Senate, nominees include PPP Senator Farooq H. Naek, Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, and former Senator Roshan Khursheed Barocha. Both Ayub and Shibli are from PTI.
An NA spokesperson confirmed that all five nominations were forwarded to the JCP Secretary, adding that the nominees reflect equal representation from the government and opposition. Two Senate nominees were chosen by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani under Article 175-A, with recommendations from Senate Leader Ishaq Dar and the opposition leader.
Under the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the JCP will be led by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and will include two senators, two MNAs, three senior Supreme Court judges, the most senior judge of the constitutional bench, the Federal Law and Justice Minister, the Attorney General, and a senior Supreme Court advocate nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council. Additionally, the commission allows for the inclusion of a female or non-Muslim parliamentary member, nominated for a two-year term.
Sources previously said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui would represent the ruling coalition; however, the allies chose otherwise. Meanwhile, PTI announced on October 28 its decision to join the JCP, following an internal briefing emphasizing the long-term impact and importance of opposition roles within the commission.
The ruling coalition and some opposition parties recently passed constitutional amendments to enhance parliamentary powers, including selecting the Supreme Court's chief justice.
This move faced opposition from PTI and others, who viewed it as an effort to undermine judicial independence. Following these changes, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, third in seniority, was appointed by the parliamentary committee, surpassing Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar.
