ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Tuesday recommended the name of Chief Justice Balochistan High Court (BHC) Jamal Khan Mandokhail for elevation as the judge of Supreme Court, but deferred elevation of Sindh High Court (SHC) junior judge.

The JCP meeting was held at the Supreme Court building, here under the chair of Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, and participated by four senior judges of the Supreme Court, one retired judge of the apex court, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem, Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan, and a representative of the Punjab Bar Council (PBC).

The Commission has also proposed the name of Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, senior puisne judge of the BHC, for the Chief Justice of BHC. However, the JCP deferred the elevation of Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, who is at serial No 5 in the SHC.

The lawyers observed strike throughout the country on the call of PBC on July 13 against the proposed elevation of a junior judge of SHC. PBC vice chairman Khush Dil Khan and the chairman of executive committee of the council Muhammad Faheem Wali appreciated the JCP's decision to elevate Chief Justice of BHC Jamal Khan Mandokhail to the Supreme Court and to defer the elevation of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, a judge of SHC in line with the wishes of the legal fraternity.

They paid rich tribute to the entire Judicial Commission for sticking to the principles of justice and reiterated that the resolution by the Bar Council was issued for enforcement of the rule of law and strict adherence to the Constitution and judicial principles, as the legal fraternity hold Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar in high esteem for his competence and legal acumen.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021