ISLAMABAD – The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) is set to hold a crucial meeting today (Tuesday) to confirm the permanent appointments of chief justices for the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Sindh High Court (SHC), and Balochistan High Court (BHC).

The high-stakes session will be chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and attended by all commission members. The appointments will bring permanent leadership to courts currently headed by acting chief justices.

Presently, Justice Sarfaraz Dogar is serving as the acting chief justice of the IHC, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech is holding the position at the BHC, and Justice Junaid Ghaffar is performing duties as the acting chief justice of the SHC.

Objection Over Nomination Sparks Debate

In a notable development, Justice Kamran Khan Mulakhail, senior puisne judge of the Balochistan High Court, has raised formal objections over the repeated nomination of Justice (retd) Nazir Ahmed Lango to the JCP.

In his letter to the JCP secretary, Justice Mulakhail emphasized that fresh nominations are constitutionally required when a high court lacks a permanent chief justice, urging the commission to appoint a new representative instead.

Recent Judicial Developments

Just last week, the JCP held back-to-back meetings under CJP Afridi’s leadership, where several judicial decisions were finalized. One major outcome was the extension of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench tenure until November 30, 2025.

The commission also reviewed the performance evaluation policy under Article 175A(20) of the Constitution, particularly concerning high court judges.

In a separate meeting, the term of the Sindh High Court’s constitutional benches was extended for another six months, starting July 23, 2025. As part of restructuring, Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry and Justice Jaffar Raza were appointed to replace outgoing members Justice Agha Faisal and Justice Sana Akram Minhas.

The outcome of today’s JCP meeting will likely have a significant impact on the leadership and functioning of Pakistan’s high courts.