Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Monday approved the appointment of six high court judges for elevation to the Supreme Court despite opposition from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which boycotted the meeting, and protests from lawyers in Islamabad.
The JCP meeting took place amid criticism from four sitting Supreme Court judges and followed recent controversial judicial transfers to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), opposed by five IHC judges. The commission, responsible for judicial appointments, is currently finalizing candidates for eight vacant Supreme Court positions under the recently reconstituted JCP framework, amended through the 26th Constitutional Amendment to include four members from Parliament.
According to a press release issued by the JCP, a majority of the commission’s total membership approved the appointment of six high court judges to the Supreme Court. The judges selected include:
1. Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar (Balochistan High Court)
2. Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui (Sindh High Court)
3. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar (Sindh High Court)
4. Justice Shakeel Ahmad (Peshawar High Court)
5. Justice Aamer Farooq (Islamabad High Court)
6. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim (Peshawar High Court)
Additionally, the commission, with a majority vote, nominated Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb as an acting judge of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, protests erupted across Islamabad, led by the Lawyers’ Action Committee, demanding the postponement of the JCP meeting. Lawyers, holding banners rejecting the 26th Constitutional Amendment, gathered at multiple locations, including D-Chowk and Serena Chowk, chanting slogans for judicial independence. Security measures were heightened, with key entry routes to the Red Zone, including Nadra Chowk, blocked to control the situation.
Despite the boycott by PTI and strong opposition from lawyers, the JCP proceeded with the nominations, setting the stage for further legal and political debate over judicial appointments in Pakistan.
