ISLAMABAD: The government and opposition have named their representatives to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), an important move following the recent passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
This amendment expanded the JCP’s composition to include members from parliament, aiming to bring greater balance and representation to the body responsible for nominating judiciary members to the country’s highest courts.
For the ruling coalition, the representatives chosen are Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from the National Assembly, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui. The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has selected Senator Shibli Faraz and National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub for the commission.
Omar Ayub confirmed his nomination to Geo News, noting that PTI founder Imran Khan played a significant role in the decision. He mentioned that the names were finalized after consultations that included PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and were influenced by discussions with the incarcerated former premier.
The PPP is pushing for balanced representation within the JCP, proposing two names—Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Farooq H Naek—to sit alongside the government’s existing representatives, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Awan. This ensures each major party has equal influence in the commission’s decisions.
The JCP’s reformation, mandated by the new constitutional provisions, is part of a broader overhaul of Pakistan’s judicial appointment process. The commission, chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, now includes two senators and two MNAs—one from each side of the government and opposition. This structure is designed to fortify the judiciary’s independence by involving a wider array of political representatives in the nomination process.
These developments follow the contentious legislative changes pushed through by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, with the support of coalition allies like the PPP and opposition parties like JUI-F.
These changes not only modify the appointment process of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and establish constitutional benches but also set fixed tenures for these positions, aiming to stabilize the judiciary’s future governance.
