JCP meeting summoned to deliberate elevation of PHC CJ to SC
June 10, 2023
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will meet next week to consider the elevation of Peshawar High Court (PHC) chief justice to one of the vacant Supreme Court seats, confirmed well-placed sources on Saturday.
The JCP meeting will be held with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial in the chair on June 14. The meeting will consider elevation PHC CJ Musarrat Hilali to the apex court, the sources added.
Currently, the top court is functioning with 15 judges, including the chief justice, against the sanctioned strength of 17 judges.
Last month, SC Senior Puisne Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa penned a letter to CJP Bandial urging him to immediately convene a meeting of the JCP to fill the vacancies of the judges in the apex court. He also suggested the names of the chief justices of the SHC and PHC for the posts.
The JCP last met in October, 2022 where three judges were elevated to the top court.
The JCP is a constitutional body that decides appointments to the apex court, high courts, and the Federal Shariat Court.
The JCP is headed by the CJP, the next senior-most four judges, a former chief justice or SC judge, the law minister, the attorney general, and a senior SC advocate nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council.
The JCP meeting should consider the names of the two judges on the seniority principle, urged Justice Isa.
