Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has called a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on April 8 to select two new Supreme Court judges from five nominees sent by the Lahore High Court (LHC). The JCP will choose the new judges from the five most senior LHC judges.
The meeting will also discuss a request from LHC’s senior judge, Shujaat Ali Khan, to remove remarks made in the JCP’s meeting minutes from July 2, 2024. At that meeting, the JCP had approved Justice Aalia Neelum as the new LHC Chief Justice, but overlooked two senior judges, including Justice Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.
The JCP’s minutes raised concerns about the integrity and public image of these two senior judges. It mentioned that their reputations were questioned in the legal community, which led to their exclusion from the Chief Justice nomination. The JCP emphasized the need for judges to have an unblemished reputation.
On April 8, the JCP will also review nominations for positions in other high courts, including Sindh, Balochistan, Peshawar, and Islamabad. The total number of Supreme Court judges was increased from 17 to 34 through the 26th Constitutional Amendment. Currently, 22 judges serve in the Supreme Court.