ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has summoned the meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on November 6 to make it operational and initiate the process of filling vacancies in the country’s superior courts.
The meeting will also discuss the nominations for the slot of new Lahore High Court chief justice, as the incumbent Chief Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif is to retire on December 8. The petitions challenging the formation of the Judicial Commission under the 18th Amendment were decided on October 21, with the Supreme Court directing that all cases of fresh appointments of judges and additional judges to the Supreme Court, the Federal Shariat Court and the four high courts would be processed forthwith under Article 175-A.
Accordingly, the process of the constitution of the JCP began on October 23 and consultations regarding the nomination of a former chief justice or a former judge of the SC as JCP member were held on October 25. After thorough deliberations, Justice (r) Ali Hussain Qazilbash, former SC judge was nominated under Article 175-A (2)(iii) of the constitution and Justice (r) Mian Allah Nawaz, former LHC chief justice, was nominated under proviso to Article 175-A (5)(iv).
Letters were written to chief justices of the four high courts for taking necessary measures for the establishment of the commission, including seeking the nomination of a senior advocate as a JCP member from respective provincial bar councils. A letter was written to the chairman, vice chairman and secretary of the Pakistan Bar Council for nomination of a senior SC advocate as member of the JCP.
Letters were also addressed to the Cabinet Division secretary, and provincial chief secretaries, asking for copies of notifications of official members of the JCP for inclusion in the Gazette of Pakistan.
