The meeting of JCP, held here with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in the chair, also recommended one-year extension to about 32 additional judges of different high courts besides taking up the issue of one-year extension in the services of Tahira Safdar, Justice Jamal Mandu Khel, Justice Mustafa Mengal, Justice Noor Muhammad Miskeen - four additional judges of Balochistan High Court (BHC).
The extension period of these additional judges expired this month and the Supreme Court through an interim order, allowed 32 additional judges of the High Courts to continue working after expiry of their one-year tenure. The Court had held that these additional judges would function in their respective positions to avoid collapse of the whole judicial system.
The commission, sources said, discussed fresh nominations and the confirmation of additional judges to the high courts. It will also hold another meeting to nominate six judges for the Islamabad High Court during the second week of this month. According to sources, the commission also considered extension issue of nine additional judges of Sindh High Court (SHC) and recommended names of Justice Shahid Anwar Bajwah, Justice Irfan Sadaat Khan, Justice Ghulam Sarwar, Justice Tufail H Ibrahim, Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Muneeb Akhter for another one-year term.
The issue of seven additional judges of Peshawar High Court (PHC) also came under discussion. The meeting also deferred consideration of names of 12 additional judges of the Lahore High Court (KHC) till next meeting, sources revealed. The recommendations will be sent to parliamentary committee for appointment of judges for approval.
This is pertinent to mention here that 56-year old would-be chief justice for IHC, Justice Iqbal Hamid-ur-Rehman is the son of former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Hamood-ur-Rehman. He is one those judges, who refused to take oath under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) of November 3, 2007. Later talking to newsmen, federal law minister Babar Awan, who is also member of JCP, said that there was complete consensus on the issues between the members. He said that IHC would start functioning from December 13.