Supreme Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has called a meeting for appointment of five judges in the apex court.
According to reports, the three judges nominated from Sindh High Court (SHC) have been named without considering the principle of seniority, as they rank fourth, sixth and seventh.
Lahore High Court’s (LHC) nominated justice Shahid Waheed is the fourth most senior judge of LHC. He would become the chief justice of Pakistan in June 2031 after the retirement of Justice Ayesha Malik.
Media has reported that Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Qaiser Rasheed Khan, Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Shahid Waheed along with three judges of the Sindh High Court (SHC), including Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto have been named for appointment as judges of Supreme Court (SC).
Currently four seats are vacant in the SC, with Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to retire on August 14. He is also member of Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). A rift has also been reported in the JCP regarding the nomination of top-court judges.
According to reports, one section of the JCP committee is in favor of appointments on seniority basis whereas the second group [led by CJP Bandial-as per media reports] holds the point of view that competence, efficiency, integrity and temperament should be considered for appointment of new judges.
Two JCP members – Justice Qazi Faiz Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood – are in favor of seniority principle.
According to senior lawyers, the law minister and attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) would be crucial in appointments. Questions have been raised by a bar council member that the meeting was being called in haste as one JCP member and the senior most judge Justice Isa was abroad.
In the end of May, it was also reported that Justice Isa had penned a letter to CJ Bandial over judges’ appointment.
