Higher judiciary slots: President confirms 8 judges for BHC, LHC

Approves one-year extension for four additional justices.

ISLAMABAD:

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday confirmed the appointment of three Balochistan High Court judges, five Lahore High Court (LHC) judges and approved a one-year extension for four additional judges of the LHC.

The president approved the nomination of Justice Abdul Qadir Mengal, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar for the High Court of Balochistan, the media wing of the presidency said.

Justice Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, Justice Abdus Sattar Asghar, Justice Mehmood Maqbool Bajwa, Justice Ameenuddin Khan, and Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti were confirmed as judges of the LHC, it said.

The tenure of Justice Ch. Muhammad Younas, Justice Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, Justice Syed Muhammad Kazim Raza Shamsi, and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan of LHC was also extended for a period of one year by the president as per the advice of the prime minister.

The summary received by the president from the prime minister in this regard said that after due consideration by the Judicial Commission and later by the Parliamentary Committee on the Appointment of Judges in the Superior Courts, the above nominations were forwarded to the prime minister, who in turn advised the president to accord his approval to these nominations.

Accordingly, the president acting upon the advice of  the prime minister endorsed the nominations.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2012.