ISLAMABAD: The newly constituted Special Parliamentary Committee has nominated Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) from among the three most senior Supreme Court judges, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal confirmed.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that Justice Afridi’s nomination has been sent to the prime minister with a two-third majority.
The development came after two rounds of in-camera meeting of the parliamentary panel comprising government and opposition members after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) boycotted the proceedings “in line with the party’s political committee decision.”
Reacting to the development, PTI leader Hamid Khan said that they will strongly condemn the nomination and launch a protest movement.
However, he hoped that Justice Afridi will not accept the nomination as chief justice. “Such a move aimed at creating division within the Supreme Court.”
The first in-camera session of the parliamentary panel comprising was held at room no 5 of the Parliament House earlier today. However, the SIC members skipped the meeting, prompting the committee members to meet again tonight.
In a statement earlier, the National Assembly Secretariat said that the SIC members have taken final decision not to attend the parliamentary panel’s meeting. “The committee has been apprised of the SIC’s decision.”
The secretariat noted that a sub-committee, comprising four members — Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Ansar, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Kamran Murtaza, was constituted to convince the SIC lawmakers to attend the meeting, “but to no avail.”
During their meeting with SIC members, the statement noted, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that they would not attend the parliamentary committee’s session in line with the PTI’s political committee decision.
Meanwhile, Ahsan Iqbal — while talking to journalists — regretted the SIC’s decision and said that they left no stone unturned in convincing the PTI-backed lawmakers to attend the meeting.
“The committee will decide on the CJP’s name today,” he said, adding that they have the required two-thirds majority for the decision.
He further said that the committee will forward the name to Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs today through NA Secretariat.
Subsequently, the remaining nine committee members reconvened the meeting to nominate the next chief justice.
Speaking to journalists after first round of meeting, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar noted that nine members of the Special Parliamentary Committee attended the proceedings.
He added that the required number is present and the committee’s proceedings would not come to a halt. “However, we are democratic-minded people and the beauty of democracy is to unite everyone.”
