The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), in a significant move, has recommended by a majority vote the elevation of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb to the Supreme Court, marking the most prominent decision in a series of high-level judicial appointments approved on Tuesday. The commission’s session also resulted in the unanimous selection of new chief justices for the high courts of Sindh and Balochistan.
In two unanimous decisions, the JCP endorsed the appointment of Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput, currently the Acting Chief Justice, as the new head of the Sindh High Court. Likewise, the commission backed Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail, the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Balochistan, to be confirmed as the province’s top judge.
The nomination of Justice Aurangzeb, a judge of the Islamabad High Court who has also been serving as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court, for a permanent position on the apex court’s bench was secured through a majority consensus. The crucial meeting was convened at the Supreme Court of Pakistan and presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, in his capacity as the commission’s chairperson.
Furthermore, the JCP voted by majority to establish a committee responsible for drafting rules under Article 175A(20) of the Constitution. The newly formed body includes Justice Aamer Farooq of the Federal Constitutional Court, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, Senator Syed Ali Zafar, and senior lawyer Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon.
Following the JCP’s approvals, all the recommendations will now be forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment for further consideration and finalization.