ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday approved the appointment of additional judges to five high courts and confirmed several additional judges as permanent members of the judiciary, according to an official statement.
The approvals cover the Lahore High Court (LHC), Sindh High Court (SHC), Peshawar High Court (PHC), Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Balochistan High Court (BHC).
The president also approved the confirmation of a number of additional judges serving in the Lahore and Sindh high courts as permanent judges.
Approvals Follow IHC Proceedings
The presidential approvals came a day after the Islamabad High Court questioned the delay in processing a summary concerning judicial appointments.
During Monday’s hearing, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir asked about the status of the summary and observed that more than 18 days had passed since it had been forwarded for approval.
The IHC subsequently issued notices to the president and prime minister through their respective secretaries and sought responses by Tuesday.
The proceedings followed a petition filed by advocate Luqman Zafar, who challenged the delay in completing the constitutional process for judicial appointments.
According to the petition, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) approved nominations for high court judges during meetings held on July 20 and 21.
The nominations were then forwarded to the president through the prime minister under Article 175A(8) of the Constitution, but the petitioner argued that the matter remained pending beyond the relevant period.
Court Seeks Details on Judicial Appointments
In its written order issued after Monday’s hearing, the IHC directed the federal government and the Ministry of Law to provide reports explaining the status of the summary.
The court specifically asked officials to disclose when the summary was forwarded by the prime minister to the president and whether any action had been taken afterward.
IHC Seeks Explanation From Govt Over Delay in Judges’ Appointments
The court also sought clarification regarding the constitutional consequences of keeping advice concerning judicial appointments pending beyond the prescribed period without taking a decision or returning it for reconsideration.
The issue had therefore raised questions about the timeline and procedure governing appointments to the superior judiciary.
Changes to Judges’ Salaries and Benefits
Separately, President Zardari approved measures concerning the salaries, allowances and pensions of Supreme Court (SC) judges.
Under the approved measures, the benefits of Supreme Court judges will be brought in line with those available to judges serving in the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
The president also approved amendments to the 1997 order governing leave, pensions and other service-related benefits for high court judges.
These changes cover several administrative and financial aspects of judicial service, including leave entitlements and post-retirement benefits.
Haroon Akhtar Appointed PM’s Adviser
In another decision announced by the presidency, President Zardari approved the appointment of Haroon Akhtar as Adviser to Prime Minister on Industries and Production.
The appointment comes as the government continues to focus on industrial activity and production-related matters.
With the latest decisions, the presidency has approved judicial appointments across all five high courts mentioned in the official statement, alongside changes concerning judicial benefits and a new federal government advisory appointment.
