By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan elevated Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb to a permanent position on the Supreme Court on Tuesday, marking the body’s first meeting since the adoption of a landmark constitutional amendment.
The commission, presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, also approved the appointments of Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput as chief justice of the Sindh High Court and Justice Kamran Mullahkhail as chief justice of the Balochistan High Court. These decisions come as the judiciary grapples with the establishment of a new Federal Constitutional Court and a reduction in the Supreme Court’s bench strength.
Justice Aurangzeb, who had been serving as an acting judge on the Supreme Court since February after his elevation from the Islamabad High Court, now joins the apex court on a permanent basis. The meeting, held in the conference room of the Supreme Court building, involved careful consideration of candidates for the high court chief justice positions.
For the Sindh High Court, the commission weighed options among the three senior-most judges: Justice Rajput, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalohoro and Justice Mahmood A. Khan. Similarly, for the Balochistan High Court, the candidates included Justice Mullahkhail, Justice Iqbal Ahmed Kasi and Justice Shaukat Ali Rakhshani. The reshuffling reflects broader shifts triggered by the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which created the Federal Constitutional Court.
Four judges from the Supreme Court — Justices Aminuddin Khan, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Aamer Farooq and Ali Baqar Najafi — have been appointed to the new court, while Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah have resigned. As a result, the Supreme Court’s total strength has dropped to 18 judges from 24.
Attending the commission meeting were key figures including Federal Constitutional Court Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Aamer Farooq, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Pakistan Bar Council representative Ahsan Bhoon, Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, Senator Syed Ali Zafar, and members of the National Assembly Sheikh Aftab Ahmad and Gohar Ali Khan.
A press release issued after the meeting announced the formation of a committee to draft rules under clause 20 of Article 175A of the Constitution. The committee comprises Justice Farooq, Attorney General Awan, Senator Naek, Senator Zafar and Bhoon. The clause addresses the annual performance evaluation of high court judges and the timeframe allowed for judges to address inefficiencies in their performance.
The amendment has prompted adjustments to several key judicial bodies. Supreme Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail has been added to the Supreme Judicial Council and the Practice and Procedure Committee, while Federal Constitutional Court Justice Farooq has joined the Judicial Commission. Among these bodies, the Supreme Judicial Council serves as the primary forum for judicial accountability, investigating allegations of misconduct against judges.
The Practice and Procedure Committee handles the formation of benches and the scheduling of cases, while the Judicial Commission oversees appointments to the superior judiciary. On the same day, the Supreme Judicial Council convened and formed its own committee, consisting of Justice Mandokhail, Justice Rizvi and Justice Aalia Neelum, to draft rules governing its procedures and business under clause 10 of Article 209 of the Constitution. “In the meanwhile, the council unanimously adopted the Supreme Judicial Council Procedure of Inquiry, 2025, provisionally,” a press release from the council said.
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