Pakistan extends Sindh High Court constitutional benches for one year

Pakistan's Judicial Commission, chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, approved a one-year extension for the Sindh High Court constitutional benches at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, sources said Monday. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sen. Rana Sanaullah attended their first meeting as members.

What did the Judicial Commission decide on the SHC constitutional benches?

The commission reviewed the tenure of the benches during the session and approved a further one-year extension, according to sources. Members deliberated on the matter before the meeting concluded. Chief Justice Afridi chaired the session, which also welcomed two new parliamentary members to the commission.

Who are the new members of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan?

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sen. Rana Sanaullah attended the meeting, their first since being nominated to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). Chief Justice Afridi welcomed both members. Two seats were vacant after the recent resignations of PPP Senator Farooq H. Naek and PML-N member Aftab Sheikh.

Both Bilawal and Sanaullah represent parliament as members of the treasury benches, in the National Assembly and the Senate respectively. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is Leader of the House in the National Assembly, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, who is Leader of the House in the Senate, made the nominations. They acted under Article 175A (2)(vii) of the Constitution.

What does the Judicial Commission of Pakistan do?

Article 175A of the Constitution mandates the JCP to appoint judges of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), Supreme Court, high courts and Federal Shariat Court. The commission also evaluates the performance of high court judges.

The 26th Amendment changed Article 175A and reconstituted the JCP with four members of parliament. Two come from the treasury benches and two from the opposition, with one from the National Assembly and one from the Senate in each pair.

The commission consists of the chief justices of the Supreme Court and the FCC, and the next most senior judge from each court. It also includes two judges from each court, jointly nominated by the chief justices for two years.

The federal law minister, the attorney general of Pakistan and an advocate with no less than 15 years of practice in the Supreme Court are also members. The final seat goes to a woman, non-Muslim or technocrat who is not a member of parliament but is qualified to become one.