ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) is likely to consider the names of two prominent lawyers Babar Sattar and Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri for the vacant positions of judges at the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

After the appointment of the lawyers the strength of IHC judges will rise to nine. Since the establishment of the high court the sanctioned strength of judges including the chief justice was seven.

Recently, the Parliament increased the sanctioned strength of the IHC judges to 10.

At present, seven judges are working in the IHC including three additional judges.

Sources privy to the development said that the JCP has received the recommendations of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah regarding the nomination of Mr Sattar and Mr Jahangiri.

Mr Sattar, a prominent lawyer, has studied Master of Law, also known as LLM, at Harvard School of Law.

He is also a well-known writer, columnist and analyst.

Jahangiri, a former Advocate General of Islamabad, is an expert in criminal, constitutional and civil law.

He was elected as President Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) in 2016. Previously, he had the portfolio of President District Bar Association of Islamabad.

Under Article 175-A of the constitution for the appointment of judges of IHC, the JCP consists of Chief Justice of Pakistan, senior most judges of the Supreme Court, chief justice and senior most judge of the Islamabad High Court, law minister, attorney general, member of Pakistan Bar Council and Islamabad Bar Council (IBC).

Under the JCP rules, the commission informs IBC in writing about the nomination and the proposed date of meeting.

IBC Vice Chairman Qazi Rafiuddin Babar is also a member of the JCP.

Earlier last week, the JCP deferred confirmation of three additional judges – Justice Fiaz Ahmed Anjum Jandran, Justice Lubna Saleem Pervaiz and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani – because of ‘unsatisfactory’ performance.

Sources privy to the meeting said that the JCP did not confirm the services of IHC judges who were inducted last year.

However, the IHC chief justice recommended that instead of removing these judges, they may be given an extension for a second review after a period of six months.

Subsequently, the JCP extended the services of these judges for six months and referred this matter to the Parliamentary Committee.

On Nov 21 last year the JCP recommended Ms Pervaiz, Mr Jandran and Mr Qambrani as additional judges, and the nominations were unanimously confirmed by the parliamentary committee on Dec 4.

There are currently four confirmed judges in the IHC in addition to these three additional judges.

They include Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Senior Puisne Judge Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2020