Shafaqna Pakistan: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday approved the appointment of additional judges to four high courts, ending a weeks-long deadlock over judicial appointments that had also led to proceedings before the Islamabad High Court.
According to a post on X, President Zardari approved the appointment of additional judges to the Lahore, Sindh, Islamabad and Balochistan high courts, along with the confirmation of additional judges serving in the Lahore and Peshawar high courts.
The president approved the appointment of 10 additional judges to the Lahore High Court (LHC), three each to the Sindh High Court (SHC), Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Balochistan High Court (BHC).
He also approved the confirmation of four additional judges of the PHC and one additional judge of the LHC. The President’s Office said Zardari had signed all the relevant summaries.
The development came a day after the IHC sought written reports from the federal government and the Ministry of Law on the status of the pending judges’ appointment summaries.
The court had been hearing a petition filed against the delay in approving the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s recommendations for appointments to the high courts. At Monday’s hearing, the IHC had directed the government to explain when the summaries were forwarded to the president and what action had been taken on them.
Oath-taking ceremony
The oath-taking ceremony for three newly appointed additional judges of the IHC began today. IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar administered the oath to the newly appointed judges.
IHC judges, Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Hayat Malik and Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez also attended the ceremony. IHC Bar President Wajid Gilani and representatives of the Islamabad Bar Council were also present.
The three new judges of the IHC were sworn in as additional judges. Justice Ayaz Shaukat, Justice Umair Majeed Malik and Justice Shah Rukh Arjumand took the oath.
IHC CJ Dogar administered the oath to the judges. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the IHC. High Court judges, bar representatives and lawyers attended the ceremony.
Source: Express Tribune
