ISLAMABAD: The Special Parliamentary Committee, constituted for the first time in Pakistan’s history to appoint a Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), has agreed on the name of Justice Yahya Afridi for the position. This decision came after the first round of the in-camera meeting, which took place on Tuesday afternoon in Parliament House.
The committee, made up of both government and opposition members, convened in room no. 5. However, members from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) skipped the meeting. Their absence prompted another round of discussions later in the evening.
In response to SIC’s absence, the National Assembly Secretariat issued a statement confirming that SIC members had decided not to attend the meeting. Although a sub-committee was formed to convince them, which included Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Ansar, Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Kamran Murtaza, their efforts proved unsuccessful.
During this time, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing SIC, reiterated that their decision to skip the session was in line with PTI’s political committee’s instructions. As a result, SIC lawmakers refused to participate.
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Ahsan Iqbal expressed disappointment over SIC’s decision. He told journalists that the committee did everything possible to convince PTI-backed lawmakers to participate. However, he assured that the decision on the next Chief Justice would still be made that day. He confirmed that the committee had the required two-thirds majority to move forward.
Later, the remaining nine committee members resumed the session to finalize Justice Yahya Afridi’s nomination. After the first round of discussions, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed that enough members were present to continue. He stressed that despite SIC’s absence, the committee remained committed to a democratic approach, aiming to include all parties.
Qazi Faez Isa’s Retirement
Meanwhile, the government is racing against time as Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is set to retire on October 25. Under the old law, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the senior puisne judge, would have automatically replaced Isa. However, the 26th Constitutional Amendment changed the process.
Now, the Special Parliamentary Committee will decide the Chief Justice’s appointment. They will choose from the three most senior Supreme Court judges, requiring a two-thirds majority. Along with Justice Shah, the candidates include Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi, with the latter being selected.
The committee includes prominent figures such as Azam Nazeer Tarar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), Farooq H Naek of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Syed Ali Zafar of PTI, and Kamran Murtaza of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). The National Assembly members from PML-N include Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Shaista Parvez. In addition, the PPP’s Syed Naveed Qamar and Raja Pervez Ashraf, as well as Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Sahibzada Hamid Raza from SIC, are also on the panel.
It is crucial to note that this process must be completed within the next three days due to CJP Isa’s impending retirement. Under Article 175A, the committee is required to send its nomination at least three days before the current Chief Justice steps down.
Earlier, PTI’s Central Information Secretary, Waqas Akram, had announced that the party would not take part in the Special Parliamentary Committee meeting. Despite this, the government remains committed to finalizing the nomination and ensuring the smooth appointment of the next Chief Justice.
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