Parliamentary Committee Formed for Appointment of New Chief Justice of Pakistan
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Related to the 26th amendment to the Constitution, a parliamentary committee has been formed for the purpose of proposing the name of the new Chief Justice of Pakistan.
New Chief Justice to be Appointed
The notification about the formation of the committee is also released. The committee comprises twelve members, eight from the National Assembly and four from the Senate.
Members from the Senate: Parliamentary Committee Formed for Appointment of New Chief Justice of Pakistan
PTI: Senator Ali Zafar
JUI: Senator Kamran Murtaza
PML-N : Senator Azam Nazir Tarar
PPP: Senator Farooq H. Naik
Members from the National Assembly:
PML-N:
Khawaja Asif
Ahsan Iqbal
Shaista Parvez Malik
PPP:
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Naveed Qamar
MQM:
Rana Ansar
Sunni Ittehad Council:
Barrister Gohar Khan
Sahibzada Hamid Raza
The parliamentary committee is to hold its first meeting today on 22 Oct at 4 PM to finalize the nomination of the new Chief Justice of the country.
New Chief Justice Pakistan: Parliamentary Committee Formed for Appointment of New Chief Justice of Pakistan
The committee will decide on the appointment by a two-thirds majority and then send its name to the Prime Minister for further nod. After the Prime Minister has given his nod, the notification about the appointment of the new Chief Justice will be made public.
The move to make this committee has been made after saying all his words to mainstream parliamentary parties, including Muslim League-N, PPP, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sunni Ittehad Council, and MQM.
Specifically, the National Assembly’s Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, had written letters to the Chairman of the Senate seeking this special committee with balanced representation from all concerned parties.
The committee would choose the Chief Justice from amongst the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court with the new constitutional process bringing a watershed shift in the process of appointment as contemplated under Clause 3B of Article 175A of the Constitution.
26th Constitutional Amendment
Under the 26th Amendment, CJP’s tenure has been fixed at three years or up to retirement age at 65 for a judge.
After consultation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the amendment into effect early Monday.
This selection of the chief justice would chiefly be drawn out from a pool of the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court. That shift currently is away from mere reliance on seniority.
Presently, in the seniority list, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah is the most senior, followed by Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi. In case one of these declines to take on the position, then that means one rank senior judge gets considered.
According to a report by The News, sources within the government said that Justice Yahya Afridi has emerged as the favorite for chief justice as his non-controversial and neutral stance amidst recent divisions at the apex court would be a momentum booster for him.
It may be noted that at the current stage, Justice Ijaz Ahmed with 109 judicial working experience and many tenure-related and administrative achievements would be a suitable pick from the entire bar.
Who Will Be the New Chief Justice of Pakistan?
With the 26th Constitutional Amendment officially in effect, the country is on the verge of appointing a new Chief Justice of Pakistan. A special 12-member parliamentary committee has formed, and the critical decision is expected to unfold soon. This committee set to meet in-camera at 4 PM today at the Parliament House to finalize the appointment.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa to Propose 3 Senior Judges
The current Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, is tasked with sending the names of the three most senior judges to the committee for consideration. The top candidates include:
- Justice Mansoor Ali Shah
- Justice Muneeb Akhtar
- Justice Yahya Afridi
These three judges are currently the most senior in the Supreme Court, and the final decision on who will assume the role of the next Chief Justice rests with the special committee.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah: The senior-most judge and a very strong contender is Justice Mansoor Ali Shah. He was the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court when he was elevated as a judge of this court in early 2018.
Justice Munib Akhtar: Born in 1963, he is still relatively a newcomer to the Supreme Court. He joined this court in 2018. For these reasons, he is considered a good candidate.
جسٹس یحییٰ آفریدی، جسٹس منیب اختر اور جسٹس منصور علی شاہ سپریم کورٹ کے سینئر ترین جج ہیں— فوٹو بشکریہ سپریم کورٹ
Justice Yahya Afridi: The third on the seniority list, he was the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2018.
Parliamentary Committee Formed for Appointment of New Chief Justice of Pakistan
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