ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Monday constituted a 12-member parliamentary committee to appoint the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) for a three-year term.
The committee, established following the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, includes representatives from both the National Assembly and the Senate.
The committee meeting is summoned at 4 pm.
The committee includes Khawaja Asif, MNA; Ahsan Iqbal, MNA; Shaista Pervaiz Malik, MNA; Raja Pervez Ashraf, MNA; Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA; Rana Ansar, MNA; Gohar Ali Khan, MNA; Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, MNA; Senator Farooq Hameed Naik; Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar; Senator Syed Ali Zafar and Senator Kamran Murtaza.
Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaista Pervaiz Malik and Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar belong to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) while Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar and Senator Farooq H. Naik are from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Senator Kamran Murtaza represents Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) while Rana Ansar is a woman law maker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).
Gohar Ali Khan, Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza and Senator Syed Ali Zafar are representatives of Sunni Itehad Council (SIC) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
It should be remembered that the 12-member special parliamentary committee will select the chief justice from three most senior judges.
According to the procedure under the 26th constitutional amendment, the chief justice will send the names of three most senior judges of the Supreme Court to the National Assembly speaker. The speaker will refer the names to the parliamentary committee which will “pick” the chief justice.
It may be recalled that Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan on September 17, 2023. He is due to retire on October 25, 2024.