ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court registrar has shared senior judges’ names with parliamentary committee tasked with picking the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).
This development follows a request from the law ministry for most senior judges’ nominations. With Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s retirement approaching on October 25, a special session of the 12-member parliamentary committee is set to convene today on Tuesday.
The committee includes representatives from both government and opposition parties, established to oversee the appointment process in line with the recent 26th constitutional amendment.
As the nation anticipates this appointment, discussions within the committee are expected to be closely watched in the country of 242 million.
The new constitutional amendments to Article 175A now require the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to be appointed by a Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) instead of directly by the president. This committee must submit its nomination by tonight, as Justice Isa is set to retire on October 25.
Opposition party PTI decided against participating in process, citing concerns over legality of the amendments and the process behind them. PTI leaders argue that they will not legitimize what they view as undermining judicial independence.
Bar Association also raised voice against rapid and non-transparent passage of the amendments, calling for protests against the changes.
More Updates to follow on this…
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