ISLAMABAD: The newly formed 12-member Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) is set to meet today at 4 pm to nominate the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) from the panel of three senior Supreme Court judges.
The Supreme Court Registrar sent three names — Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and Justice Yahya Afridi — to the parliamentary committee on the recommendations of Chief Justice Isa.
CJP Qazi Faez Isa is set to retire as the top judge on October 25.
Following the enactment of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a parliamentary committee was formed under Article 175A of the tweaked Constitution, which will conduct an in-camera meeting today to decide the top apex court judge for the next three years.
The notification issued from the NA Secretariat stated, “In terms of clause (3B) of Article 175A of the Constitution has been pleased to notify the Special Parliamentary Committee comprising members as per nomination by respective parliamentary leaders based on their strength in Parliament for the nomination of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.”
Prior to the current legislation, the President had the authority to appoint the “most senior judge of the Supreme Court” as the CJP. Senior puisne judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah was previously set to be the next chief justice under the seniority principle.
The parliamentary committee comprises eight members from the National Assembly and four senators.
چیف جسٹس آف پاکستان کی تعیناتی کیلئے قائم خصوصی پارلیمانی کمیٹی کا ان کیمرہ اجلاس کل مورخہ 22 اکتوبر، 2024 بروز منگل سہ پہر 4 بجے پارلیمنٹ ہاؤس میں منعقد ہوگا۔@SenatePakistan@KhawajaMAsif @shaistapervaiz @betterpakistan @RPAPPP @naveedqamarmna @ranaansar26 @BarristerGohar… https://t.co/6DYLfiURx0 pic.twitter.com/GugBLvdXo1
— National Assembly (@NAofPakistan) October 21, 2024
Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) include Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Shaista Parvez from PML-N, Syed Naveed Qamar and Raja Pervez Ashraf from PPP, Raana Ansar from MQM, and Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
The committee also consists of Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar (PMLN), Farooq H Naek (PPP), Syed Ali Zafar (PTI), and Kamran Murtaza (JUI-F).
As per the new law, the committee would nominate the judge within 14 days before the retirement of the CJP. The committee would send the name of the nominee to the prime minister who would forward the same to the president for the appointment.
As the top judge Faez Isa is set to retire on October 25, the first nomination under clause 3 after the commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth) Act 2024 would be sent within three days prior to the retirement of the chief justice.
However, clause (3) of Article 175A also mentioned that if the nominee from amongst three senior-most judges declines, the remaining judges from amongst three senior-most judges would be considered for nomination.
