National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has formally requested nominations from both the government and the opposition to fill key positions on the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). Following the recent 26th Constitutional Amendment, Article 175A now stipulates that the JCP, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, must include two Senators and two Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), with representation from both government and opposition benches.
The nomination process will involve the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who are tasked with proposing candidates for the commission. Upon receiving these nominations, the Senate Chairman will communicate them to the National Assembly Speaker.
In addition to the Chief Justice, the JCP will consist of:
- Three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court
- The most senior judge from the Constitutional Bench
- The Federal Minister for Law and Justice
- The Attorney General for Pakistan
- An advocate with at least 15 years of Supreme Court experience, nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council for a two-year term
- A member of Parliament who is either a woman or a non-Muslim, appointed by the Speaker for a two-year term
The inclusion of parliamentary members is intended to broaden representation and ensure a more inclusive judicial selection process.
