The Judicial Commission (JCP) of Pakistan on Friday to the judge of the Superior Court of Lahore, Ali Baqar Najafi, as judge of the Supreme Court (SC).
A press release issued today said the JCP considered the appointment of two LHC judges for the Apex court.
The nominees for the two vacant spaces of the SC had to be selected from the five most senior LHC judges.
According to the LHC seniority list, Tiderazgo, Tidero Justicia, Alia Neelum, is at the top. They are followed by the senior judge of Puisne, Judge Shujaat Ali Khan, Judge Najafi, Judge Abid Aziz Sheikh and Judge Sadqat Ali Khan.
However, today’s press release only said: “The commission of the majority of his total membership nominated Judge Ali Baqar Najafi, judge, the Superior Court of Lahore for his appointment as judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”
A source had said that when evaluating the credentials and the suitability of the nominees for appointment as the president of the Supreme Court of LHC in July 2024, the JCP had concluded that the nomination of Judge Shujaat and Judge Najafi was not adequate or adequate to maintain the office due to the alleged negative public perception in terms of its integrity and reputation between the judges and the legal fraternity.
All the members of the commission had backed this point of view, adding any negative perception against a judge displaced the concept of legitimate expectation and, therefore, the nominated candidacy should not advance. The fundamental strength of a judicial institution is public confidence, the JCP had unanimously maintained, and added that the nominees must possess non -questioned integrity and an impeccable reputation.
The meeting had also considered the issue of a letter from the LHC to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in search of protocol privileges for the son of a judge sitting at international airports in the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The letter, dated October 6, 2023, and written by the additional senior registrar of the Rawalpindi Bank of LHC to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, had indicated the desire of Judge Najafi of a special protocol treatment for his son, Syed Muhammad Ali, in international airports of Abu Dhabi and John F. Kennedy (New York).
The statement was also sent to the Pakistan ambassador to the EAU and the general consul in New York. The LHC had withdrawn the objectable letter in the midst of the legal fraternity.
Separately, the JCP also appointed former judges of the four higher courts as unique members for the next meeting in which the main regular judges of these higher courts will be appointed.
According to clause 5 of article 175-A, for the appointment of a judge of the Superior Court, the JCP composition includes the president of the Superior Court of the Superior Court to the Superior Court, the head of the Constitutional Bank, the Minister of Provincial Law and a defender who has at least 15 years of practice in the Superior Court to be nominated by the respective Board of Lawyers for a period of two years. In the event that the head of constitutional banks of a superior court is the president of the Superior Court of that Superior Court, the judge who is the next one in antiquity will become a member of JCP.
He says that for some reason, the president of the Superior Court is not available, will be replaced by a former Judge Justice or former judge of that court, will be nominated by the JCP.
Consequently, the JCP today nominated the judge (retired) Maqbool Baqar for the Superior Court of Sindh, Judge (retired) Nazeer Ahmed Langove for the Superior Court of Baluchistan, Judge (retired) Mian Shakirullah Jan Jan for the Superior Court of Peshawar and Justice (Justice) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui for the Court Alto Islamabad under article 175-A (5).
