JCP approves 10 PHC additional judges
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan has approved the appointment of 10 additional judges for the Peshawar High Court (PHC) with a majority vote.
The decision, made during a commission meeting presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Saturday, includes the appointment of two district and sessions judges, Farah Jamshed and Inamullah Khan, among others.
According to sources, seven of the approved nominations were put forward by the PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, while one each was recommended by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator Farooq H Naek, and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) representative Akhtar Hussain.
The meeting agenda initially included the appointment of nine additional judges, but PHC CJ, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, argued during the session that 10 judges were required.
CJP Yahya Afridi endorsed his view, leading to the selection of 10 candidates out of the 40 nominations received.
Three commission members opposed the deviation from the original agenda, arguing that on January 18, nominations were sought for nine additional judges, and appointments should follow the predetermined schedule.
One member warned against setting a precedent that could disrupt future appointment processes.
The newly appointed judges include Advocate Muhammad Tariq Afridi, Abdul Fayyaz, Sabitullah Khan, Salahuddin, Sadiq Ali, Syed Mudasser Ameer, Aurangzeb and Qazi Jawad Ehsanullah.
The commission's official statement clarified that candidates who failed to secure a majority vote may be reconsidered for future judicial appointments. CJP Afridi also expressed gratitude to the Punjab Information Technology Board for assisting commission members via its web portal.
Sources revealed that none of the nominations put forward by PTI-affiliated commission members or the provincial law minister secured a majority vote, resulting in no additional judge appointments from their recommendations.
With the approval of these appointments, the number of judges in the Peshawar High Court will rise to 23. The court, which currently has 13 judges, is grappling with over 40,000 pending cases. The new appointments are expected to help expedite case resolutions.
Meanwhile, the commission is set to convene again on February 10 to deliberate on the appointment of eight new Supreme Court judges.
K-P AAG quits
In a related development, Syed Kausar Ali Shah resigned as additional advocate general (AAG) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), citing bias from the JCP.
"The primary reason for resignation is the discrimination I endured from the JCP, due to non-furnishing of an affidavit of resignation from my membership with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)," the former AAG wrote in his resignation submitted to KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Sources said Shah, backed by PTI, stepped down after being overlooked for the position of additional judge in the PHC.
"As a result, I no longer wish to continue my services under the current governmental regime," he added. In his letter, he thanked PTI founder Imran Khan for granting him the opportunities that "shaped his professional journey".