ISLAMABAD – All eyes are on Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) tasked with nominating the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) while Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycotts proceedings.
Members were slated to meet at 4pm, but the meeting was pushed back by over 4 hours to accommodate PTI’s absence, which also boycotted the recent vote on the 26th Constitutional Amendment. Other committee members are actively seeking to engage representatives from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in discussions.
As the meeting started, PPP members declined to answer reporters’ questions, while JUI-F Senator Murtaza noted that he had not yet received information regarding the judges under consideration. When asked if a decision would be made tonight, Murtaza remarked, “God knows better,” while PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal expressed it was too early to discuss any potential nominees.
The selection process for the new CJP has been complicated by recent constitutional amendments, which changed the appointment procedure. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah was initially favored to ascend to a role based on seniority while the 26th Constitutional Amendment requires the SPC to recommend a candidate rather than the president making a direct appointment from the most senior judges.
The committee must finalise its nomination within three days of the outgoing CJP’s retirement, making tonight’s meeting crucial. Formed by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the committee consists of eight members from the National Assembly and four senators, reflecting the party representation based on their strength in the House.
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