ISLAMABAD: The Judi­cial Commission (JC) on judges appointment recommended on Tuesday elevation of Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mian Mazhar Alam Miankhel to the Supreme Court as its judge.

A meeting of the JC, presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zahe­­­er Ja­­m­­ali, also approved appoi­nt­­ment of Justice Yahya Afridi as PHC’s next chief justice.

The recommendations of the JC will be sent to the Parliamentary Committee on judges appointment for final approval.

When elevated to the Sup­reme Court, Justice Alam Miankhel will replace Jus­ti­­ce Iqbal Hameedur Rehman who had sent his resignation from Lahore on Oct 23 after Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the apex court declared illegal all the appointments, deputations, absorptions and reappointments made in the Islamabad High Court from 2011 to the end of 2012.

In his judgement, Justice Muslim held that the IHC chief justice and administration committee of the high court had made the appointments in complete disregard of the mandate given by the rules framed under Article 208 of the Constitution.

Things become messy when IHC Bar Association general secretary Mohammad Waqas sent a reference to the Supreme Judicial Council, asking it to restrain Justice Hameedur Rehman from working as SC judge.

Published in Dawn December 14th, 2016