ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has given the green light to form a seven-member constitutional bench headed by Supreme Court Judge Justice Aminuddin Khan.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi chaired the 12-member JCP which discussed the judges’ nominations for constitutional bench in the wake of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
All members of the newly constituted JCP attended the session.
Sources said that key members, including Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, puisne judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar and opposition members Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz opposed the appointment of Justice Aminuddin Khan as the head of the constitutional bench.
Howver, Law Minister Nazeer Azam Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, Senator Farooq H Naik, woman member Roshan Khurshid Brocha and Pakistan Bar Council representative Akhtar Hussain supported Justice Aminuddin Khan.
The JCP further approved the inclusion of Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail in the constitutional bench, which will operate for a period of 60 days.
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Following Justice Aminuddin’s appointment as the head of the constitutional bench, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail become a member of the judicial commission as the next most senior judge has to be appointed as a commission member after his senior heads the constitutional bench.
Last week, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq after consultations with Senate Chairperson forwarded names of the judicial commission to the JCP
This was the first meeting of the JCP after the promulgation of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Sheikh Aftab Ahmed of the PML-N also attended the meeting as member of the commission.