3 LHC, SHC judges elevated to Supreme Court

Federal Law Ministry has issued a notification regarding the elevation of Lahore and Sindh High Court’s Chief Justices and another senior judge to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The new appointments were approved by the president under Article 177. According to the notification, Law Ministry has appointed Chief Justice Lahore High Court Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Shahid Bilal and Justice Aqeel Abbasi as judges of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Moreover, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan has been appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Lahore High Court while Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui was appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Sindh High Court.

Three judges have been elevated to the Supreme Court of Pakistan following the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari, a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice read on Monday.

After Lahore High Court’s Chief Justice Shahzad’s elevation, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was appointed as acting LHC CJ by President Zardari under Article 196, according to a notification issued by the law ministry.

Justice Shujaat will perform duties as acting LHC CJ until the appointment to the top post, it further stated. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) had recommended the elevation of chief justices of the LHC and the SHC to the apex court, besides recommending the elevation of the LHC judge to the apex court earlier this month.

The decision was taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa, chairman of the commission, in the SC chaired a meeting of the JCP, a constitutional forum for the judges’ appointment in the superior courts.