ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 The parliamentary committee on judges' appointment approved on Wednesday the nomination of Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry as the next chief justice of the Lahore High Court. He will replace Justice Khawaja Mohammad Sharif who reaches superannuation on Dec 8.

Justice Ijaz's name was approved by the Judicial Commission, headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, at a meeting on Nov 13. The eight-member PC which met at the Parliament House also elected Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, who is the leader of the house in Senate, as its first chairman till next elections of the upper house scheduled in March 2012.

A proposal made by PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, also supported by the PML-N, that every member of the committee should take over as chairman by rotation was considered by the committee as impractical.

According to insiders, the election was held in a smooth atmosphere.

The parliamentary committee comprises four members each from the National Assembly and Senate and an even number from the government and the opposition.

The committee also framed rules for its working. A new chairman of the committee may be elected whenever fresh elections to the Senate or the National Assembly are held. The quorum for a meeting will be five and the committee will meet when the name(s) for appointment of new judges will be forwarded to it.

The committee will approve the name(s) for appointment of judges by a majority. It will only reject a name by a two-third majority or 6-2 and also give precise reasons for the rejection as decided by the Supreme Court in its Oct 22 judgment on petitions challenging the 18th Amendment.