The appointment of eight new judges to the Supreme Court of Pakistan is under consideration, with a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) scheduled today (today) under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
The meeting will occur at 2 PM in the Supreme Court’s conference room.
The appointment process has been controversial for months due to disputes over seniority, leading to divisions within the judiciary. To address the matter, the JCP has sought nominations from the senior judges of all five high courts—Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Quetta. The meeting will determine whether these appointments will proceed immediately or require further deliberation.
The controversy escalated when four senior Supreme Court judges—Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Athar Minallah—wrote a letter to the Chief Justice, requesting a delay in the appointment process. In the letter, the judges argued that a full court might be needed for the upcoming case regarding the 26th Constitutional Amendment. They expressed concerns that appointing new judges at this stage could complicate the formation of the full bench.
Furthermore, the judges highlighted a constitutional issue regarding the transfer of three judges from the Islamabad High Court. They stated that, following their transfer, these judges should have taken a fresh oath, which did not happen, raising questions about their judicial status.
Meanwhile, Senator Ali Zafar also urged Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to postpone the meeting, citing the Islamabad High Court judges’ seniority dispute. In his letter, Senator Zafar emphasized that the meeting should be delayed until the seniority issue is resolved, aligning with the earlier request from four Supreme Court judges.
The outcome of today’s meeting will determine the course of these judicial appointments and whether the ongoing dispute over seniority can be settled.
