ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) will meet on Dec 21 to consider 10 nominations for four vacant positions of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges.

Interestingly, the representatives of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) apparently evolved consensus at least on one name of the proposed judges.

As per the agenda of the JCP meeting , name of Kashif Ali Malik has been proposed by the JCP member Farooq H Naek of the PPP and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan of PTI.

Advocate Malik is known for his integrity and professionalism and held important portfolios including senior legal adviser of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Bank of Punjab, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and others.

Both his proposers are the seasoned lawyers, Barrister Gohar is the Chairman PTI, while Mr Naek is the incumbent Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).

PBC representative Akhtar Hussain, however, recommended two names including Raja Inam Ameen Minhas, former President of Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and advocate Usman G Rashid Cheema.

Minhas is working as the Prosecutor General of the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) for about a decade. He was elected as IHCBA President in 2020. In 2009 he was elected as Secretary IHCBA, when the Supreme Court declared the Islamabad High Court (IHC) illegal on July 31 that year, Minhas along with the then President IHCBA Sajjad Afzad Cheema actively lobbied for its re-establishment.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq proposed two names for the high court judges. One is District and Sessions Judge (DSJ) Azam Khan and the other Shahrukh Arjumand.

Though DSJ Azam Khan is senior in age, however, Judge Arjumand was promoted much earlier than him, since the former held the administrative positions whereas the latter served in the courts throughout his service and had the required number of cases when he was considered for promotion.

The Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) nominated Syed Qamar Hussain Shah Sabzwari.

Mr Sabzwari is a well reputed lawyer and is a member of the Islamabad Bar Council.

Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah proposed the name of advocate Sultan Mazhar Sher Khan.

Khan belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Naek also nominated Mr Sabzwari, Umer Aslam Khan and Danyal Ijaz.

The sanctioned strength of the Islamabad High Court is 12 whereas eight judges are currently serving in the court.

They included Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024