ISLAMABAD, July 28(ABC): The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Thursday rejected the elevation of five high court judges, nominated by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, to the Supreme Court. Sources prior to the development told that CJP Bandial presided over the judicial commission’s meeting, where a total of five judges, two from the Sindh High Court and three from the Lahore High Court (LHC), were considered.
Four members of the commission voted in favour of the nominees while five members opposed the appointments, they said and added that Justice Qazi Faez Isa and the attorney general of Pakistan attended the meeting via video link.
However, according to sources, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Tariq Masood, Attorney-General Ashtar Ausaf Ali, and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar voted against all the five nominees.
The names of Chief Justice Peshawar High Court (PHC) Qaiser Rashid Khan, Sindh High Court (SHC) judges – Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, and Justice Shahid Waheed of Lahore High Court (LHC) were considered to fill the existing vacancies.
The positions of Supreme Court judges fell vacant after the retirement of Justice Mushir Alam, former chief justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah will reach superannuation next August.