Dawood Ahmed:Â
In a significant move, Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, the Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court, has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Alongside him, five other high court judges have also been elevated, including Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Justice Shakeel Ahmad, Justice Aamer Farooq, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which convened for its meeting on Monday, made the appointments after a majority vote among its members. During the session, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb was nominated as the acting judge of the Supreme Court.
The announcement has been met with protests in Islamabad, with lawyers demanding that the meeting be postponed. These protests come at a time when four apex court judges have voiced opposition to the elevation of certain judges. Additionally, the transfer of judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sparked further controversy, with five IHC judges publicly opposing the reshuffling.
The decisions made by the JCP are expected to have far-reaching implications for the judicial landscape in Pakistan as new appointments are made at the country’s highest judicial body.
