CJ proposes appointment of Justice Khawaja Imtiaz as new LHC chief justice

CJ also proposes elevation of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial as a Supreme Court judge

ISLAMABAD: Ahead of a key meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) tomorrow (May 28), Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has proposed the elevation of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial as a Supreme Court judge and nominated LHC Judge Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmad as new LHC chief justice, sources revealed to The Express Tribune.

The sources revealed that the commission would consider the CJP’s recommendation about the elevation of LHC chief justice in the top court and the appointment of new Lahore CJ. Justice Umar Ata Bandial will remain a Supreme Court judge till September 16, 2023 while Justice Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmad will retired as LHC judge on March 28, 2015.

Meanwhile, the JCP will also discuss the appointment of the three additional judges of Islamabad High Court on May 28.

IHC Chief Justice Kasi has already initiated the name of noted lawyer Athar Minallah for appointment as IHC judge. Minallah is from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and was the spokesman for former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during the lawyers’ movement.

According to the Islamabad High Court Act, 2010, the court will comprise one chief justice and six judges and they would be appointed from all provinces and Fata.

After the retirement of Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan on May 14, Minallah’s name has been proposed for the post of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) judge.  The IHC chief justice has proposed two names — Mian Abdul Rauf and Anees Jillani — for one post from Islamabad city.

Similarly, the CJ has also initiated the name of Shair Shah Kasi and Tahir Shah for one post of Balochistan. A sub-committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Rahmat Hussain Jafri, will meet today (May 27) to shortlist two names from the four nominees.