Islamabad: In a bid to fill the two vacancies in the Supreme Court, the senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, has recommended the names of Sindh and Peshawar high court’s chief justices to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for elevation.
In a letter sent to all nine members of the JCP on Monday, Justice Isa has named SHC CJ Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh and PHC CJ Musarrat Hilali for the elevation to the apex court.
Against the sanctioned strength of 17 judges, the Supreme Court is currently functioning with 15 judges, including Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial.
In the same letter, the senior judge called for an immediate meeting of the JCP which last time met in October 2022 when three judges were elevated to the apex court.
President approves elevation of 3 judges to SC
It is important to note that a deadlock persisted in the last meeting over ignoring the seniority principle in picking the names of judges for their elevation to the apex court.
After the JCP’s recommendation, the names of judges are forwarded to the parliamentary committee, which, after approval, sends the names to the president for final approval.
Earlier, in 2021, the JCP— headed by former CJP Gulzar Ahmed — had recommended CJ SHC Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh as an ad hoc judge of the apex court. However, Justice Sheikh had refused to be elevated as an ad hoc judge.
