ISLAMABAD – Special Parliamentary Committee nominated Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice after a meeting attended by government and some opposition members.
The much-expected appointment raised eyebrows as Justice Afridi is said to be the junior most among three candidates. As per rank, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah was the senior most jurist while Muneeb Akhtar was sec0nd senior judge.
The members from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chose to boycott the session. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed disappointment over their absence but confirmed the committee has the required two-thirds majority to proceed.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Planning minister Ahsan Iqbal highlighted respectful nature of all three judges considered. The recent 26th Constitutional Amendment has changed the appointment process, now requiring recommendations from a Special Parliamentary Committee instead of a direct presidential appointment.
With the current Chief Justice, Qazi Faez Isa, set to retire on October 25, the government is under pressure to finalize the appointment quickly.
Recent legal changes now require the Chief Justice to be selected from the three most senior judges, rather than by automatic succession. The process must be completed within three days of the retirement, and the PTI has stated it will not participate in the committee’s discussions.
