ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Thursday nominated senior lawyer Dr Khalid Ranjha as its member for the Judicial Commission constituted for appointing Supreme Court of Pakistan judges under the 18th Amendment.
Dr Khalid Ranjha, a former law minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) senator, was nominated as the Judicial Commission member in a PBC meeting held at the council’s office. The meeting was summoned by Attorney General Anwarul Haq, who is ex-officio chairman of the council to nominate a senior lawyer as its member for the commission.
According to sources, the meeting was attended by 20 members of the PBC, out of which 11 voted in favour of Ranjha. They said that no consensus could be reached among the PBC members over Ranjha’s nomination, thus a vote had to be called on the issue.
Under the 18th Amendment, the lawyers’ representative had to be inducted in the Judicial Commission for two years. Separately, talking to reporters at SC premises, Ranjha said it was a great honour for him to represent the PBC in the Judicial Commission.
He said he would present his point of view with honesty during the process of the judges’ appointment and would oppose those candidates who did not deserve to be elevated to the apex court.
On the directives of the chief justice of Pakistan, letters had already been written to the chief justices of the Federal Shariat Court and high courts to take steps for constituting the National Judicial Commission of Pakistan. Letters had also been written to the PBC and provincial bar councils for nominating senior advocates for the commission.
