ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) by a majority recommended the elevation of the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan as the judge of the apex court.

The JCP meeting was held at the Supreme Court building in the chair of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, and participated by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Yahya Afridi, retired judge Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and the representative of Pakistan Bar Council Akhtar Hussain.

The commission also proposed the name of Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Aqeel Abbasi and LHC judge Justice Shahid Bilal for their appointment as the Supreme Court judges, unanimously.

However, it was split over the elevation of LHC CJ Shahzad Malik.

Justice Mansoor, Justice Munib, Justice Yahya, and retired Justice Manzoor opposed his recommendation, while CJP Faez, Justice Amin, AGP Mansoor, Law Minister, and PBC representative Akhtar Hussain supported it.

The move comes despite concerns from executive authorities regarding Chief Justice Khan's handling of appointments in the Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs), election tribunal nominations, and case allocations. Even representatives from the bar have expressed dissatisfaction with his tenure at the LHC.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa had put forward the names of six senior LHC judges for two available Supreme Court seats and three senior SHC judges for one position.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024