JCP APPOINTS SEVEN JUDGES TO SUPREME COURT In partnership with
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Tuesday, 11 February, 2025 I 12 Shaban ul Moazzam, 1446
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Rs 50.00 | Vol XV No 217 I 40 Pages I Islamabad Edition
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
HE Judicial Commission of Pakistan has approved the appointment of seven judges to the Supreme Court, including the elevation of the chief justices of three high courts, in a key decision expected to shape the country’s judicial landscape. Among the nominees are Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Hashim Khan Kakar, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Shafi Siddiqui, and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim have also been elevated to the Supreme Court. Justice Miangul Hassan
Aurangzeb of the Islamabad High Court has also been appointed as acting judge of the Supreme Court. Their inclusion strengthens the Supreme Court’s bench with experienced legal minds from across the country. The approval follows deliberations within the commission, which is responsible for vetting and confirming judicial appointments. The revamped JCP met on Monday. It was expanded through the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The 13-memner JCP is led by the chief justice of Pakistan, and includes four judges of the apex court, as well as parliamentarians from both treasury and opposition and others. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) convened on Monday to consider the elevation of eight high court judges
to the Supreme Court despite calls from some judges and sections of the legal community to defer the meeting. In the last few days, four Supreme Court judges and five IHC judges, besides JCP member Senator Ali Zafar, wrote separate letters to Chief Justice Afridi to postpone the JCP meeting until decisions on the pending appeals against 26th Amendment and the new seniority list of the IHC judges. The All Pakistan Lawyers Action Committee (APLAC), which represented the lawyers, who opposed the 26th Amendment, in a statement endorsed the demand of the four judges about postponement of JCP meeting and delaying the appointment of the new judges. The statement, signed by several former presidents and office-bearers of the
Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and other bars, including Muneer A. Malik, Hamid Khan, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Qazi Anwar, Abid Zuberi, vowed to defend the independence of the judiciary. Meanwhile lawyers have been divided on the issue of elevating judges to the Supreme Court. Some argued that the process should be postponed until the court challenges to the 26th Constitutional Amendment are resolved. The lawyers staged a protest in the federal capital city that led to the suspension of Metro bus services on several routes between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, causing significant inconvenience to commuters. Authorities also sealed off the sensitive Red Zone in the federal capital in response to the protest.
including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was severely impacted as visitors were unable to enter the restricted area. In a traffic advisory issued by Islamabad Traffic Police, it was confirmed that the Red Zone routes would remain closed from 6 AM on February 10 until further notice. Citizens have been advised to use Margalla Road as the sole available route for entering the zone. The advisory further urged the public to seek real-time traffic updates through helpline 1915 or the Traffic Police’s social media platforms. “We request cooperation from the public as we manage the situation,” stated a police spokesperson, assuring citizens of assistance in navigating alternative routes. The suspension of metro bus services between Rawalpindi and Islamabad added to the chaos. Authorities limited bus operations to the Faiz Ahmed Faiz Station, leaving thousands of daily commuters inconvenienced.
ISLAMABAD
Lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) and two Supreme Court judges boycotted the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meeting convened to appoint new judges to the apex court. Speaking to reporters, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed their absence, stating, “The JCP meeting should have been postponed until the cases against the 26th Amendment were decided.” Gohar further noted that apart from himself and Senator Ali Zafar, two Supreme Court judges—Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar—had also refrained from attending the meeting. Days earlier, four Supreme Court judges, including Justices Shah and Akhtar, had formally requested the session’s postponement. Similarly, Senator
Zafar had written to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, urging him to delay the proceedings. Barrister Gohar explained that the meeting was set to decide on the appointment of eight judges, while PTI’s petitions against the 26th Amendment remained pending. He reiterated that both Justices Shah and Akhtar, as well as Barrister Zafar, had submitted letters requesting the delay. “Since our concerns were not addressed and the meeting was not postponed, PTI chose not to participate,” Gohar asserted. “While the Judicial Commission meeting is ongoing, we have opted out.” Echoing similar concerns, Barrister Zafar emphasized that the session should have been deferred until the seniority issue was resolved. “Judicial appointments cannot proceed without clarity on seniority,” he said, highlighting that the matter remained unresolved.
Moving on to the stalled negotiation process between the PTI and the ruling coalition, the former prime minister said that he was not expecting any breakthrough in the talks. “I have told my team that the negotiations with the government are useless,” he added. The jailed former prime minister said that his party did not demand a ju-
dicial commission to probe the alleged rigging in the general elections but to investigate the events of May 9, 2023 and November 26. The PTI called off the negotiation process due to the “non-cooperation” of the government and delay over the formation of a judicial commission to probe the May 9, 2023, violent protests and a crackdown on party protesters in Islamabad on November 26 last year. Referring to recent controversial amendments made to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, Khan said: “There was censorship in the past too but now [the government] introduced Peca [amendments].” Censuring the government in connection with the crackdown against the PTI workers, the incarcerated PTI founder said that there was hypocrisy in the garb of democracy and criticism was made akin to treason in the country. Speaking out for freedom of expression, Khan said there was a “controlled media” in the country, adding that protests and rallies were not allowed by the government.
Islamabad braces for unrest as bar associations protest judiciary shakeup ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Key entry points to Islamabad’s Red Zone were sealed on Monday as lawyers staged a large-scale protest against judicial reforms and recent transfers of judges. The demonstration led to the suspension of metro bus services between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, leaving commuters stranded and disrupting traffic across the federal capital. According to Islamabad Police, Red Zone access points at Serena Chowk, Express Chowk, and Nadra Chowk were blocked following directives from the district administration. The route from Kashmir Highway to the Pak Secretariat was also closed, intensifying congestion on Margalla Road as vehicles formed long queues in attempts to bypass restrictions. Public access to government offices,
STAFF REPORT
RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
the PTI founder said: “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and [federal] ministers are all fake. There is no hope from parliament.” It is pertinent to mention that the former ruling party alleges that their mandate was stolen during the February 8, 2024, general elections. “The parliament is not functional. It is a fraud parliament,” he added.
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Pakistan achieves macroeconomic stability in past one year: PM
PTI lawmakers, Supreme Court judges boycott Judicial Commission meeting
Imran Khan urges CJP Afridi to stand by law, justice Jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Monday called upon Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to stand by law and justice. In an informal interaction with journalists at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, the PTI founder addressed the CJP, saying: “The nation is looking towards you.” Khan said he wrote two letters to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir “because all democratic avenues have been obstructed”. His remarks came after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), headed by the CJP, approved the appointment of six new judges to the Supreme Court amid a boycott by PTI lawmakers and two senior SC judges. “The CJP needs to stand by law and justice,” said the 71-year-old cricketerturned-politician, who has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was sentenced in multiple cases following his ouster from power in April 2022. Blasting the coalition government,
IN TODAY’S ISSUE
DUBAI STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday said Pakistan achieved macroeconomic stability in the last one year with the help of the International Monetary Fund programme. Speaking to Pakistani business leaders and investors here, he said the macro level foundation of the Pakistani economy had gradually improved in the previous year as the inflation was at 2.4 percent in the month of January and month to month bank’s policy rate bank was at 12 percent. The exports had improved as compared to last year and the foreign remittances touched the level of three billion dollars which was a record, he explained. He said that the country would have to overcome tough economic challenges, adding that the government was moving in the right direction with the goal to achieve economic growth. “Our efforts are focused on some key areas including mining and minerals,” he remarked and said that Pakistan was working together with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to extract its immense mineral resources. The prime minister said it was unfortunate that not much progress was made in the mining sector to exploit country’s minerals worth trillions of dollars. He said another area of vital importance was Information Technology and proper training of youth in this field could help the country turn around its economy. Pakistan’s 60 percent population was 15-30 years old, he noted. Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan was endowed with immense resources in the agriculture sector but in the last many decades, the per acre yield remained marginal as modern techniques and technology were not introduced to promote crop production. “Many countries moved ahead of Pakistan in the production of rice, sugar, cotton and wheat and we lagged behind our neighbouring countries.” He informed that the government was funding a programme to send 1000 fresh agriculture graduates for training to China in various fields related to agriculture. He expressed the hope that after return from China these students would be well equipped with modern knowledge to assist the country in increasing its agriculture production. He stressed that country needed to convert its agriculture production into value added products to gain better economic growth. “We needed to focus with complete dedication and commitment so we can move forward with speed to gain results for the economy,” he said adding that team work was needed to transform society in every walk of life. He assured that the government would include suggestions of the business leaders in its economic programme.
No right of return for Palestinians under Gaza plan: Trump WASHINGTON AGENCIES
US President Donald Trump said Palestinians would have no right of return to Gaza under his US takeover plan, describing his proposal in excerpts of an interview released on Monday as a “real estate development for the future.” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier that “I would own it” and that there could be as many as six different sites for Palestinians to live outside Gaza under the plan, which the Arab world and others in the international community have rejected. “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing,” Trump said when Baier asked if the Palestinians would have the right to return to the enclave, most of which has been reduced to rubble by Israel’s military since October, 2023. “In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever – it’s not habitable.” Trump first revealed the shock Gaza plan during a joint news conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, drawing outrage from Palestinians. The US president pressed his case for
Palestinians to be moved out of Gaza, devastated by the Israel-Hamas war, and for Egypt and Jordan to take them. In the Fox interview – which will be broadcast Monday after the first half was screened a day earlier – Trump said he would build “beautiful communities” for the more than two million Palestinians who live in Gaza. “Could be five, six, could be two. But we’ll build safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is,” added Trump. “In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent.” ‘Unacceptable’ Trump stunned the world when he announced out of the blue last week that the United States would “take over the Gaza Strip,” remove rubble and unexploded bombs and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” But while he initially said that Palestinians could be among the “world people” allowed to live there, he has since appeared to harden his position to suggest that they could not. Netanyahu on Sunday praised Trump’s proposal as “revolutionary”, striking a triumphant tone in a statement to his cabinet following his return from Washington.
“President Trump came with a completely different, much better vision for Israel,” said Netanyahu, who was reportedly only briefed on the plan shortly before Trump’s announcement. The reaction from much of the rest of the world has been one of outrage, with Egypt, Jordan, other Arab nations and the Palestinians all rejecting it out of hand. The criticism was not limited to the Arab world, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday labeling the plan “a scandal,” adding that the forced relocation of Palestinians would be “unacceptable and against international law.” Trump’s plan has also threatened to disrupt the fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and the chances of it progressing to a second, more permanent phase. Trump, however, repeated his insistence that he could persuade Egypt and Jordan, both major recipients of US military aid, to come around. “I think I could make a deal with Jordan. I think I could make a deal with Egypt. You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year,” he told Fox. Last year, Trump described Gaza as being “like Monaco,” while his son-in-law Jared Kushner suggested that Israel could clear Gaza of civilians to unlock “waterfront property.”
Dar, Malaysian FM stress urgent action on Gaza as OIC meeting nears ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato Seri Attama Haji Mohammad bin Haji Hassan to discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and escalating tensions across the Middle East. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both leaders emphasized the urgency of addressing civilian suffering in Gaza, where the ongoing violence has devastated countless lives and created significant instability. Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s “steadfast commitment” to the Palestinian cause, underscoring Islamabad’s consistent advocacy for a just resolution that guarantees Palestinian sovereignty within pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The two diplomats also discussed preparations for the upcoming extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers. Dar expressed strong support for the initiative, calling it a critical platform for coordinated regional efforts to address the crisis. This high-level engagement follows Pakistan’s categorical condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks suggesting a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Office denounced the statement as “reckless and provocative,” asserting that it undermines international law and Palestinian rights. Dar termed any attempts to displace Palestinians “blatant violations” of international norms, expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia’s principled stance on the Palestinian issue. Amid growing diplomatic outreach, Dar also contacted his Iranian, Turkish, and Egyptian counterparts to discuss Gaza’s situation and potential strategies for peace. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a stopover in Istanbul en route to Portugal.
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