Judicial Commission Approves Justice Atiq Shah as Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court
ISLAMABAD – The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) convened a high-level meeting on Tuesday to deliberate the appointments of permanent Chief Justices for four High Courts: Peshawar, Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad.
The meeting was presided over by the newly appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, who chairs the commission.
Justice Atiq Shah Approved for Peshawar High Court
In its first major decision during the session, the Judicial Commission approved the name of Justice Atiq Shah for appointment as the permanent Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court. Justice Shah has been serving as one of the senior judges in the court and was widely expected to be selected for the position.
Deliberations Ongoing for Other High Courts
The commission is currently reviewing nominations for the remaining three High Courts. The following names are under consideration:
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Islamabad High Court:
Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb -
Sindh High Court:
Justice Junaid Ghaffar, Justice Zafar Rajput, and Justice Iqbal Kalhoro -
Balochistan High Court:
Justice Rozi Khan Bareech, Justice Kamran Malakhail, and Justice Iqbal Kasi
Each High Court is being considered based on a shortlist of the three most senior judges.
Judicial Commission Composition and Voting Process
The Judicial Commission has 13 permanent members, but when deliberating appointments for High Courts, the total number of voting members rises to 16, including:
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Chief Justice of Pakistan
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Four senior judges of the Supreme Court
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Attorney General of Pakistan
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Two government members
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Two opposition members
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Pakistan Bar Council representative (currently Ahsan Bhoon)
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A nominee from the National Assembly Speaker (Roshan Khursheed Bharucha)
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Provincial Law Minister
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A representative from the respective High Court Bar
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A former judge from the concerned province
For a Chief Justice’s appointment to be finalized, a minimum majority of 9 out of 16 members must vote in favor.
Next Steps
The approval of names by the Judicial Commission is followed by the formal recommendation to the President of Pakistan, who officially appoints the nominated judges.
The decision to appoint Justice Atiq Shah has been well received within legal circles, while debates continue on the other nominations. The final outcome is expected to be announced after the commission completes its review.