ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan and Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi will be elevated to the Supreme Court. This decision comes after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved three nominees to fill vacant positions in the apex court on Friday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa had recommended six senior LHC judges for the two available Supreme Court seats, along with three senior SHC judges for one vacancy. The Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 17 judges including the CJP, currently has 14 judges.
Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, appointed as an additional judge of the LHC on May 12, 2011, and confirmed on May 11, 2013, has had a distinguished career, including serving as the secretary general and president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi. If his nomination had not been endorsed, he would have retired on March 14, 2025. His elevation to the Supreme Court extends his tenure by three more years, as the retirement age in the Supreme Court is 65 years.
The JCP, led by CJP Qazi Faez Isa, also unanimously approved the elevation of SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi to the Supreme Court. Justice Abbasi, previously overlooked twice by the JCP, will now join the Supreme Court, albeit junior to two other SHC judges elevated before him. Justice Abbasi, appointed as an additional judge of the SHC on September 25, 2009, and taking oath as its chief justice on December 19, 2023, has also served as a monitoring judge for various courts and tribunals.
Furthermore, there was a consensus in the JCP on the elevation of Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan of the LHC.
The decision to elevate LHC Chief Justice Khan was finalized in a split decision, with some JCP members favoring the nomination of Justice Alia Neelum instead. However, the majority supported Justice Khan’s nomination due to his expertise in handling criminal cases, a pressing need for the Supreme Court given the current backlog of around 53,000 cases, 26% of which are criminal.
As per details, the Parliamentary body approved the elevation of LHC Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, and LHC Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan to the Supreme Court. The recommendations were made during a JCP meeting held on June 7 under the chairmanship of CJP Qazi Faez Isa. The three high court judges will be elevated to the Supreme Court to fill the vacant seats.
The recommendations will now be forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee on the appointment of judges for final approval. These nominations aim to fill the vacant seats in the Supreme Court, enhancing its capacity to handle the increasing caseload and ensuring the continued delivery of justice.
The elevation of these distinguished judges is expected to strengthen the Supreme Court, particularly in handling complex criminal cases, and demonstrates the commitment of the judicial system to uphold justice and efficiency in Pakistan’s highest court.
