Justice Abbasi nominated as SHC CJ

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has nominated Sindh High Court (SHC) judge Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi as the chief justice of the provincial high court.

The commission has also formed a committee to draft regulations governing the nomination of judges for appointment to superior courts.

A meeting of the commission was convened at the Supreme Court building in Islamabad on Monday, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faiz Isa.

During the session, the recommendation for elevating Justice Abbasi as the SHC Chief Justice was ratified. Presently, Justice Abbasi serves as the acting chief justice of the SHC. The JCP promptly forwarded its recommendation to the parliamentary committee responsible for judges' appointments.

Simultaneously, the JCP established a committee to define protocols for appointing judges to the superior judiciary. According to sources, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will head the committee, with Justice (retired) Manzoor Ahmad Malik acting as co-chair.

The committee will include the chief justices of all five high courts and representatives from the five bar councils. It is expected to submit its recommendations to CJP Isa by January 15, forming the basis for the judge nomination process.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has persistently advocated for alterations in the JCP rules, proposing that the sole authority to select judges should not rest with the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

However, two JCP members, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, expressed objections to the committee's formation, stating that a caretaker government could not intervene in policy matters. They argued against the formulation of rules at this juncture, especially in the absence of an elected government.

PBC member Advocate Akhtar Hussain highlighted that judge appointments, being a policy matter, have nevertheless been executed. Stressing the urgency of filling vacant positions in high courts, Hussain urged the expeditious framing of judge nomination regulations.

Furthermore, the commission sanctioned the appointment of Justice (retired) Manzoor Malik as a JCP member. The term of one of the JCP members, Justice (retired) Sarmad Jalal Usmani, had concluded on November 21.