Two judges each expected from Sindh, Islamabad.
Bar associations reject protest calls against JCP session.
Bodies endorse JCP’s balanced composition.
ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) meeting to deliberate on the appointment of eight judges to the Supreme Court has started.
The meeting — chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi — will consider five senior judges from each of the four high courts, sources told Geo News.
It is expected that two judges each from the Sindh and Islamabad High Courts and one judge each from the Peshawar and Balochistan High Courts will be elevated to the Supreme Court.
However, ahead of the meeting, four Supreme Court judges, including two commission members, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar, have requested the postponement of the session.
The letter, also penned by Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Athar Minallah, called for the JCP meeting to be deferred “till the challenge to the 26th Constitutional Amendment is decided one way or the other”.
The JCP’s existing members, following the 26th Amendment, include CJP Afridi, Justice Shah, Justice Akhtar, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar and representative of Pakistan Bar Council Akhtar Hussain along with members of parliament from both treasury and opposition benches.
Additionally, the commission’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) affiliated member, Senator Ali Zafar, has also conditionally called for the meeting’s deferral.
Meanwhile, six leading bar associations have rejected calls for protests and strikes against the JCP session.
In a joint statement, representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association, Punjab Bar Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association, and Sindh High Court Bar Association condemned the opposition to the meeting.
They accused certain political groups within the legal community of attempting to advance their controversial agendas through such protests.
The statements reiterated full support for the JCP’s proceedings, asserting that the commission’s composition remains well-balanced.
The bar associations also endorsed the 26th Constitutional Amendment and subsequent legislation, considering them integral parts of the Constitution.
They further asserted that only representative bodies have the authority to call for a strike.
‘Boycotting is not a solution’
In his conversation with the media ahead of the meeting, PTI’s Senator Zafar yet again called for the postponement of the JCP meeting until the Islamabad High Court’s seniority issue is resolved.
He said that decisions regarding judges cannot be made until their seniority is determined. He further clarified that he has no issue with transfers but emphasised that the real concern is seniority.
“If [IHC] Chief Justice Aamer Farooq is elevated to the Supreme Court, we need to see who will replace him,” he added. Senator Zafar also mentioned that letters from high court judges regarding the seniority issue have already been received.
Zafar said he would formally request its postponement during the meeting. “Boycotting is not a solution. We must not abandon the field but rather raise our voices,” he stated.
He stressed the importance of collective advocacy, saying: “A unified voice can help resolve these issues.” Instead of boycotting, he affirmed their commitment to presenting their stance to ensure justice for the nation.
“Many bar associations support this stance, while some oppose it,” he acknowledged, adding that they would continue to voice their concerns during the JCP meeting.
“Once the seniority issue is settled, we can proceed with what the 26th Amendment suggests,” he said.
Zafar further remarked: “You cannot simply bring in a judge from another court. Individuals come and go, but institutions must remain strong.”