Islamabad: The Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Judges has approved the names of judges nominated by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for appointment to the Supreme Court.
The development came after a parliamentary meeting in Islamabad today to take a decision on the appointment of senior judges.
The board approved all names by the JCP including Lahore High Court Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi and LHC Justice Shaheed Bilal.
Last week, the JCP submitted the names of three Chief Justices to be considered for appointment to the SC for final approval by the Parliamentary Committee.
The recommended names to fill the vacant posts were proposed in a meeting of the Judicial Commission presided over by Chief Justice Kazi Faiz Jesus.
CJP Isa last month held a JCP meeting to discuss the appointment of three judges to the SC.
The JCP was created under the 18th constitutional amendment to appoint judges to the high court.
It has been directed to consider the names of nine judges, including the Chief Justice of the LHC and the Chief Justice of the SHC, to fill the three vacant positions in the apex court.
The meeting was attended by JCP members – Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayah Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice (former) Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir. Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and Pakistan Bar Council Representative Akhtar Hussain.
According to the Constitution, the actual strength of Supreme Court judges is 17, and now the apex court has 14 judges including the CJP.
These three positions are to be filled after the retirement of former Kazi Umar Ata Bandial and removal of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
