Govt, opposition finalise names for judicial commission

The names for the reconstitution of the Supreme Judicial Commission have been finalised by the government and opposition in both the National Assembly and the Senate under the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

From the National Assembly, the government has nominated Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for the Judicial Commission, while Omar Ayub will represent the opposition in the commission, as reported by Express News on Wednesday.

In the Senate, Irfan Siddiqui from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and opposition leader Shibli Faraz will also be part of the Judicial Commission.

Parliamentary leaders of political parties are set to submit the names to the Speaker and the Chairman of the Senate.

Following the approval of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a new selection process for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) has come into place in the country. Under the new law, the CJP will be selected from among three senior judges rather than the senior-most judge automatically taking the position.

This move towards reconstituting the judicial commission aims to address pressing legal matters and enhance the functionality of the judicial system in Pakistan.

A 12-member parliamentary committee will decide the chief justice's name, requiring a two-thirds majority. The name will then be sent to the prime minister, who will forward it to the president for approval.