ISLAMABAD: Nine-member Special Parliamentary Committee has sent the name of Yahya Afridi to PM for the post of Chief Justice of Pakistan dropping the senior-most judge Mansoor Ali Shah.

Since PTI and SIC members refused to be part of the Special Parliamentary Committee meeting meant to select one of the three senior-most SCP judges as CJP, 9 members pondered over the matter as they had to name the top judge by midnight.

ISLAMABAD: Justice Yahya Afridi (R), who has been nominated for the post, was educated in Lahore at Aitchison College and holds a Master of Laws from Jesus College, Cambridge. He interned at Fox & Gibbons in London before returning to Pakistan, where he became an Associate at Orr, Dignam & Co. in Karachi.

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Previously, the CJP was selected on the basis of seniority, now following the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, a 12-member Special Parliamentary Committee was supposed to appoint the top judge.

The first rendezvous of the newly formed Special Parliamentary Committee met at 4PM on Tuesday (22nd October, 2024) during the huddle they were supposed to commence reviewing the panel of three senior-most judges (Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Yahya Afridi) for the position of Chief Justice.

But due to refusal of PTI/SIC members to participate in the process, the second meeting was held at 8 PM. In the absence of 3 members the 9 members have sent the name of Yahya Afridi to PM Shehbaz Sharif by 11PM Tuesday (21st October, 2024).

1) JUI-F’s Senator Kamran Murtaza,

2) PPP’s Senator Farooq Hamid Naek,

3) PML-N’s Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar,

4) PTI’s Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar,

5) PML-N’s MNA Khawaja Asif,

6) PML-N’s MNA Ahsan Iqbal;

7) PML-N’s MNA Ms. Shaista Parvez Malik,

8) MQM-P’s MNA Ms. Raana Ansar,

9) PPP’s MNA Syed Naveed Qamar,

10) PPP’s MNA Raja Pervez Ashraf,

11) PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan,

12) SIC’s Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza.

The (12-3=) 9-member Special Parliamentary Committee, requiring a two-thirds majority for approval, selected Yahya Afridi to be appointed the Chief Justice. The Committee selected one name from a panel of 3 senior-most judges, and forwarded to the PM for approval. PM will submit the name to the President for final ratification, completing the appointment process.

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