Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa will administer oath to Justice Aminuddin Khan as Supreme Court judge on Monday (today). Justice Khan, who was fifth in seniority list of Lahore High Court, would serve as apex court judge till November 30, 2025. Justice Khan's elevation has been proposed because of his expertise in civil laws.
After the retirement of CJP Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed this year, the SC has already lost its experts on civil laws.
The apex court will reach its full strength after Justice Khan's elevation. The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has supported Justice Khan's elevation to the apex court. The Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment on October 7 approved his nomination.
The committee considered all aspects of the matter and was of the view that, although the nomination of his lordship was covered under the Constitution, all provinces - especially the smaller ones - should have been given due share in the appointments of judges to the top court in order to remove a sense of deprivation. Currently, eight SC judges are from Punjab, six from Sindh and two from KPK. Interestingly, only one SC judge, Qazi Faez Isa, hails from Balochistan. Justice Isa, who has been working as the top court judge since 2014, is facing a presidential reference.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019