IHC chief justice proposes new name for post of judge

Justice Minallah recommends Baloch lawyer Azam Kamrani for appointment to high court

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah has proposed a new nominee for appointment to the federal capital’s high court.

After Muhammad Evaz Zehri withdrew citing personal reasons, Justice Minallah has recommended another Baloch lawyer, Azam Kamrani, for appointment as an IHC judge.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa has summoned a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on May 2 to consider the names of three nominees for appointment as IHC judges.

On April 17, Justice Minallah recommended the names of Karachi-based lawyer Kashif Sarwar Paracha, Islamabad Bar Council member Faiz Jandran and Balochistan-based lawyer Muhammad Evaz Zehri.

However, the IHC chief justice on April 19 wrote a letter to the JCP secretary stating that Zehri had excused himself from assuming the post because of personal reasons.

“He [Zehri] was indeed eligible and would have aptly represented the province of Balochistan but since he has regretted to be considered, his nomination is hereby withdrawn,” read the letter written by the IHC chief justice to JCP Secretary Arbab Muhammad Arif.

However, sources close to Zehri claim that he was compelled to excuse himself from becoming an IHC judge.

One section claims that he was unable to qualify for the test of the additional and session judge in the past and therefore ineligible for the post.

The IHC CJ has now nominated Supreme Court Bar Association executive member Azam Kamrani. He is a Baloch lawyer practicing in Hub.

Currently, there are no judges from Balochistan in the IHC. In the top judiciary, only Justice Qazi Faez Isa is working in the apex court for the past five years.

Balochistan Bar Council representative Munir Kakar said he appreciated that the IHC CJ had nominated a Baloch lawyer. “It is the need of the hour that Baloch lawyers are appointed to the judiciary,” he told The Express Tribune.

A delegation of the Balochistan Bar Council also met CJP Khosa and requested that a Baloch lawyer should also be appointed to the Balochistan High Court.