JCP recommends Justice Noor Meskanzai for BHC hot seat

JCP endoreses appointment of Lahore based lawyer Amir Farooq as additional judge of IHC

ISLAMABAD: As the incumbent chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) Ghulam Mustafa Mengal retires on December 25, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Wednesday recommended Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai as the new BHC chief justice based on his seniority.

Once confirmed, Justice Meskanzai will serve as BHC CJ till September 2018.

Additional judges for BHC

Separately, sources said that Justice Mengal had nominated Sher Shah Kasi, Imtiaz Hussain, Naseer Ahmed Bungalzai, Nizammuddin and Zahoor Ahmed Mengal for two empty slots of additional judges of BHC.

Later on, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Nasirul Mulk had formed a sub-committee under Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali to give its recommendation on each nominee.

While the commission almost endorsed the sub-committee’s report on the nominees, it deferred the appointment of the two additional judges till the new BHC CJ presents fresh names.

Additional judges for IHC

The JCP, while considering four names for the appointment of Islamabad High Court additional judges, has endorsed the appointment of Lahore based lawyer Amir Farooq.

Sources said that the CJP had formed a sub-committee, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa to give its opinion on each nominee.

After receiving the sub-committee’s report, the commission approved Farooq.

Earlier, IHC chief justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi had nominated four people including Mohammad Tanvir Meer, Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan and Farooq for the vacant position in IHC.

Since its establishment in January 2011, not a single judge from the federal capital has been appointed to the IHC.

According to IHC Act 2010, in addition to the IHC chief justice, there “shall be six other judges to be appointed from the provinces and other territories of Pakistan”.

However, currently there are only four judges at the IHC, including Kasi from Balochistan, Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi from Sindh, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui from Punjab and Justice Athar Minallah from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.