Judicial appointment: JCP recommends name for new BHC top judge

Panel also recommends name for one additional judge of IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has recommended the senior-most judge of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai, to replace incumbent Chief Justice of BHC Ghulam Mustafa Mengal, who is retiring on December 25.

The JCP deferred the appointment of two additional judges of the BHC because the new chief justice will initiate fresh names for these slots, sources told The Express Tribune. Justice Mengal had initiated the names of Sher Shah Kasi, Imtiaz Hussain, Naseer Ahmed Bungalzai, Nizamuddin and Zahoor Ahmed Mengal for the two positions.



Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk had formed a subcommittee, headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, to give its recommendations on each of the nominees. Subsequently, the JCP almost endorsed the subcommittee’s report on the proposed nominations and decided that the matter be deferred as fresh names will be initiated by the new CJ BHC, sources said.

IHC judge nominated

Sources said that JCP, while considering four names for the appointment of an additional judge of the Islamabad High Court, endorsed the appointment of Lahore-based lawyer Amir Farooq.

The commission had formed a subcommittee, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, to give its opinion on each nomination. After receiving the subcommittee’s report, the commission approved the nomination of Farooq.

Currently there are only four, instead of six judges at the IHC.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2014.