JCP confirms six additional PHC judges

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has approved a series of key judicial appointments and tenure extensions in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), amid the continued absence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) representatives from its meetings.

The JCP met at the Supreme Court on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. According to an official statement, the commission reviewed data forms, antecedents and evaluation material before reaching its decisions by majority vote.

The commission approved the confirmation of six additional PHC judges as permanent judges. These include Justices Muhammad Tariq Afridi, Abdul Fayaz, Salahuddin, Sadiq Ali, Syed Mudassar Ameer and Qazi Jawad Ehsanullah.

The JCP also granted a six-month extension in the tenure of four additional PHC judges — Justices Farah Jamshed, Inamullah Khan, Sabitullah Khan and Aurangzeb, according to the announcement after the meeting.

Earlier on Tuesday, the commission confirmed the appointment of 10 additional judges of the Sindh High Court (SHC) as permanent judges. Those approved include Justices Miran Muhammad Shah, Tasneem Sultana, Riazat Ali Sahar, Muhammad Hasan (Akber), Abdul Hamid Bhurgi, Jan Ali Junejo, Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro, Ali Haider 'Ada', Muhammad Osman Ali Hadi and Muhammad Jaffer Raza.

Two additional SHC judges — Khalid Hussain Shahani and Syed Fiaz-ul-Hassan Shah — were granted six-month extensions. The JCP also nominated Justices Amjad Ali Bohio, Muhammad Hasan (Akber), Ali Haider 'Ada' and Muhammad Osman Ali Hadi to the SHC's constitutional bench.

In another set of decisions, the JCP earlier confirmed three additional judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) — Justices Inaam Ameen Minhas, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Azam Khan — as permanent judges.

In a separate meeting, the commission confirmed Justice Najam-ud-Din Mengal as a permanent judge of the Balochistan High Court (BHC). However, it did not confirm Justice Muhammad Ayub Khan, who is no longer serving as a BHC judge.

So far, four meetings of the Judicial Commission have resulted in the confirmation of judges across all four high courts. However, throughout these proceedings, PTI members of the commission — Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and lawyer Ali Zafar — did not attend any of the meetings.

PTI's member of the Judicial Commission and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial law minister were also absent from the PHC-related session on Wednesday, a pattern that has drawn notice within legal circles.