The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has given the green light for the inclusion of two additional judges to the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench, increasing the total number of justices on this crucial bench to 15.
This decision was reached during a significant commission meeting presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Thursday.
According to the official announcement, Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi were added to the bench following a majority vote. Sources confirmed that Justice Abbasi garnered eight votes in his favor, while Justice Najafi received seven.
PTI Voices Opposition to Appointments
Sources privy to the meeting revealed that representatives from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not cast their votes in support of either of the nominated judges. Reportedly, the PTI members reiterated their long-standing demand that formal rules and procedures for the inclusion of judges in the Constitutional Bench should be established first.
“If no rules are formulated beforehand, then appointments should be made based on seniority,” PTI members argued, proposing the names of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Shahid Waheed, and Justice Athar Minallah based on their seniority within the judiciary.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel also lent his support to the PTI’s call for a structured rule-making process before any appointments are made to such a vital bench.
Full Court Meeting Held
In a separate development, a full court meeting of the Supreme Court was convened in Islamabad, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, as per an official announcement. All Supreme Court justices, including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, were in attendance.
The agenda for this meeting included a review of the fees allocated to lawyers appointed at government expense, as well as the consideration of the bar council’s potential enrollment of retired high court judges as advocates.
The meeting also involved discussions on recommendations related to ensuring access to information and a review of the draft for the Supreme Court Rules 2025. The announcement further stated that appropriate directives were issued by the court regarding the discussed agenda items.
It was agreed among the justices that the next full court meeting would be scheduled in the near future.
