ISLAMABAD: Ahead of a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which is supposed to to appoint permanent chief justices of different high courts, Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) pointed out that the continued participation of Justice (retd) Nazir Ahmad Lango as a member of the commission would violate the mandate of Article 175A (5) of the Constitution.

In a two-page letter to the JCP secretary, Justice Mulakhail has raised an objection to the invitation extended to the former judge to participate in the JCP meeting.

The application highlighted that in line with constitutional practice, every time a nomination for the chief justice of a high court has been presented to the commission, the nomination of the former judge was made afresh.

For the nomination of Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel as BHC chief justice, Justice (retd) Qazi Faez Isa was nominated as a JCP member. Similarly, for the nomination of Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan and Justice Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel was nominated as a one-time member of the JCP.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2025