• Appointments to high courts delayed due to absence of revised rules following recent constitutional amendments
• Commission expected to decide composition of committee to interview candidates for elevation to superior judiciary

ISLAMABAD: The stalled process of appointments to the high courts is expected to resume, as the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has convened a meeting on June 11 to consider and approve rules governing appointments to the superior judiciary.

According to sources, the formulation of the long-awaited rules is the principal item on the agenda of the upcoming meeting. The absence of revised rules following recent constitutional amendments has delayed appointments to several high courts despite a growing number of vacancies and an increasing backlog of cases.

The issue gained significance after the JCP, during its April 28 meeting, approved the transfer of three judges of the Islamabad High Court to the Lahore High Court, Peshawar High Court, and Sindh High Court.

Sources said the June 11 meeting is also expected to decide the composition of a proposed committee that would interview candidates seeking elevation to the superior judiciary. The proposal has generated debate within legal circles, particularly among lawyers in Islamabad, who argue that candidates for constitutional courts should not be subjected to interviews by any committee operating outside the constitutional framework.

The matter was discussed in detail during a meeting of the JCP’s Rule-Making Committee on May 6. The committee was tasked with developing a mechanism for appointments in light of recent constitutional changes affecting the structure and functioning of the judiciary.

The 27th Constitutional Amend­ment empowered the JCP to frame rules regulating its own procedures, including the “procedure and criteria for the assessment, interview, evaluation, and fitness for appointment of judges”.

The Rule-Making Committee comprises Federal Constitutional Court Justice Aamer Farooq, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Senator Farooq H. Naek, Senator Syed Ali Zafar, and Pakistan Bar Council representative Ahsan Bhoon.

According to sources familiar with the deliberations, committee members discussed multiple proposals regarding interviews of prospective judges. Senator Ali Zafar proposed that the entire JCP should interview each candidate when his or her nomination comes before the commission, arguing that such a process would ensure collective assessment by all members.

Senator Farooq Naek, however, suggested that a seven-member committee should conduct interviews before the JCP meeting and submit recommendations to the commission for consideration.

Bhoon proposed the formation of a five-member committee consisting of two judges from the Federal Constitutional Court or the Supreme Court, one parliamentarian, the attorney general, and a representative of the Pakistan Bar Council.

Sources said the proposed committee may include Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Aamer Farooq, Senator Ali Zafar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, and Bhoon.

The proposals are expected to be placed before the full commission for a final decision. The sources said the JCP is likely to finalise both the rules and the interview mechanism at the upcoming meeting.

The need for appointments has become particularly pressing in the Lahore High Court, where vacancies continue to mount.

According to official figures, the sanctioned strength of the LHC is 60 judges, but only 41 judges, including the chief justice, are currently serving, leaving 19 positions vacant.

Sources said LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has already initiated consultations with senior lawyers and law officers to fill the vacancies. Several prominent advocates and prosecutors have reportedly appeared before the chief justice as part of the consultative process.

Those who have reportedly app­e­ared before the chief justice include Islamabad Prosecutor General Ghu­lam Sarwar Nihang, advocates Asad Ali Bajwa, Kashif Rajwana, Asad Abbasi and Shireen Imran, Barri­s­ter Zargham, Punjab Advocate General Amjad Pervaiz, Barrister Usman Ghani Rashid, Punjab Prosecutor General Syed Farhad Ali Shah, Barrister Umer Riaz and Advocate Masroor Haider Awan.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026