CJ Yahya Afridi calls first meeting of Pakistan's Judicial Commission after reforms

JCP meeting will discuss the appointment of judges for constitutional benches in the Supreme Court

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi has summoned the first meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), set for 5 November. The meeting will be held at the Supreme Court building at 2 p.m., where Chief Justice Afridi will preside.

Key items on the agenda include the establishment of a JCP Secretariat and discussions around the appointment of judges for constitutional benches in the Supreme Court.

Expected attendees include Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, and Justice Aminuddin. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Pakistan Bar Council representative Akhtar Hussain, and parliamentary representatives from various parties will also join.

Notable members include Pakistan People’s Party Senator Farooq H. Naek, Pakistan Muslim League-N’s Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Umar Ayub and Shibli Faraz. The meeting will also be attended by female member Roshan Khurshid.

Earlier, the names of parliamentarians from both the National Assembly and Senate submitted to the Supreme Court. Chairman of the Senate, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, directed the Registrar of the Supreme Court to send nominations for the Judicial Commission, based on the advice of Leader of the House Senator Ishaq Dar and Leader of the Opposition Senator Shibli Faraz.

The nominees include Senator Farooq H. Naek and Senator Shibli Faraz from the government and opposition benches, respectively.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has also communicated with the Supreme Judicial Commission, providing the names nominated by parliamentary parties.

For the Judicial Commission from the National Assembly, opposition leader Omar Ayub and Sheikh Aftab from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have been nominated, along with Roshan Khorasani Brocha for the reserved women’s seat.

According to the National Assembly spokesperson, following the approval of the 26th Amendment, the Judicial Commission will now include five parliament members, with all nominations forwarded to the Secretary of the Judicial Commission.

The nominations submitted by Parliament ensure equal representation from both the government and the opposition.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq consulted with Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani and all parliamentary parties before finalizing the names, which have now been received by the Supreme Court.

The freshly-amended Article 175-A states that a 13-member judicial commission, comprising the chief justice, three most senior judges of the Supreme Court, most senior judge of the constitutional benches, law minister, attorney general for Pakistan, a nominee from the Pakistan Bar Council, two members each from the National Assembly and the Senate, and a woman or non-Muslim from outside parliament will work for the appointment of the judge in the Supreme Court, high court and the federal Shariat Court.

Key nominations

The NA spokesperson confirmed the selection of key nominees, including Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and PML-N's Sheikh Aftab Ahmed from the National Assembly, while Senators Farooq Naek (PPP) and Shibli Faraz (PTI) have been nominated from the Senate.

Additionally, Roshan Khursheed Bharucha has been appointed to fill the commission’s designated seat for women.

According to the spokesperson, “All nominations have been forwarded to the Secretary of the Judicial Commission.”

These appointments form part of the larger effort to balance representation from both government and opposition within the JCP, now tasked with overseeing judicial appointments and forming constitutional benches for the apex court.

With the 26th Amendment now in effect, five parliamentarians join the JCP, which will now include five judges, including the Chief Justice of Pakistan, as well as a representative from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).