The chief justices of Pakistan’s four high courts have submitted nominations to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for the appointment of additional judges to fill vacant positions in the superior judiciary. The JCP had sought nominations for 10 additional judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC), five in the Sindh High Court (SHC), five in the Balochistan High Court (BHC), and three in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Timeline and Process
The move follows the JCP meeting on June 19, during which Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, in consultation with the chief justices of the high courts, invited nominations from all commission members by July 4. The nominees will now undergo formal scrutiny under the newly approved 2026 Judges Appointment Rules and the revised criteria for appointments to constitutional benches.
Amendments to Appointment Rules
The commission has also approved amendments to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (Appointment of Judges) Rules, 2024, establishing a seven-member interview panel to assess candidates for appointment to the superior judiciary. Sources, however, said the panel’s recommendations will not be binding on the commission, which will retain the statutory authority to make final appointments through a majority vote. The JCP is expected to hold sessions from July 21 to 23 to evaluate candidates and finalise appointments for the high courts.
Islamabad High Court Nominees
For the Islamabad High Court, the administration has recommended District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, former Advocate General Islamabad Ayyaz Shaukat—currently chairman of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority—and advocate Umair Majeed Malik for the three vacant posts.
Lahore High Court Nominees
For the Lahore High Court, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has forwarded 11 names, including five serving law officers: Advocate General Punjab Amjad Pervez, Prosecutor General Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah, Prosecutor General Islamabad Capital Territory Ghulam Sarwar Nihung, Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dugal, and Deputy Attorney General Asad Bajwa. The remaining nominees are Shireen Imran, Muhammad Ajmal, Kashif Rajwana, Usman Ghani, Ameer Ajam Malik, and Khalid Bin Aziz. Sources said the two opposition members of the JCP did not propose any candidate for the LHC.
Sindh and Balochistan High Court Nominees
For the Sindh High Court, Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput has recommended Sessions Judge Suresh Kumar, Humayun Advocate, Sara Malkani Advocate, Additional Advocate General Zeeshan Adhi, and former Additional Advocate General Saulat Rizvi. For the Balochistan High Court, Chief Justice Kamran Khan Mulakhail has nominated Saleem Lashari, Manzoor Shah, former Supreme Court Bar Association president Mian Rauf Atta, Rehmat Barech, Amir Lehri, and Mallag Dashti.
Objections and Background
A senior lawyer described Mallag Dashti as one of the leading criminal law practitioners in Balochistan and Sindh, noting that he belongs to the Makran Division. However, the Balochistan Bar Council has reportedly lodged strong objections to two of the nominations.
