The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Friday unanimously endorsed a proposal to nominate all incumbent Sindh High Court (SHC) judges to be part of the constitutional benches.
“The commission unanimously endorsed the proposal put forth by the Sindh High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui that all the existing judges of the high court are nominated to be the judges of the constitutional benches for expeditious disposal of the existing huge backlog of cases,” said the statement of the JCP on Friday.
The commission added that this arrangement would remain effective until November 24. “The matter will again be taken by the JCP on November 25.”
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi presided over the JCP’s second meeting in Islamabad.
The commission met to consider a single-point agenda for the formation of a constitutional bench within the Sindh High Court.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, MNAs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, and Omar Ayub Khan and PBC representative Roshan Khurshid Bharucha, Sindh Law Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar, and Sindh Bar Council member Qurban Ali Malano attended the meeting.
The SC registrar also attended as secretary to the commission.
Earlier this week, the newly-formed JCP approved a seven-member constitutional bench to be headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan for a period of two months.
The constitutional bench will comprise Justice Aminuddin Khan (chairman), Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
Justice Khan and Justice Ayesha Malik will represent Punjab on the bench while Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail will represent Balochistan.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi will represent Sindh while Justice Musarrat Hilali will represent KP on the bench.