JCP to decide on extension of SHC constitutional benches on October 13

JCP to decide on extension of SHC constitutional benches on October 13

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will hold an important meeting on October 13 to consider the extension of constitutional benches at the Sindh High Court, as their current tenure is set to expire later this month.

The meeting will take place at 1:30pm in the conference room of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, who heads the Judicial Commission, will chair the session.

The extension of the constitutional benches at the Sindh High Court will remain a key agenda item. The existing tenure of these benches will end on October 25, making the commission’s upcoming deliberations significant for the continued hearing of constitutional matters at the high court.

The commission is expected to review the matter in light of the constitutional and judicial framework governing the benches and decide whether their tenure should continue beyond the existing deadline. Any decision by the JCP could have implications for the handling of constitutional cases pending before the Sindh High Court.

The meeting also comes at a time when the composition of the Judicial Commission has seen recent changes. On Wednesday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farooq H. Naek and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member Aftab Sheikh resigned from their positions as members of the commission.

Their resignations have added another development to the commission’s proceedings ahead of the October 13 meeting. The JCP comprises senior judicial and parliamentary figures and plays a central role in matters concerning judicial appointments and other responsibilities assigned to it under the Constitution.

The commission’s upcoming deliberations will therefore be closely watched, particularly in Sindh, where the constitutional benches will reach the end of their current term on October 25.

The October 13 meeting will provide the commission an opportunity to review the matter before the expiry of the existing tenure and determine the next course of action regarding the constitutional benches at the Sindh High Court.