SJC rejects names of five judges proposed by CJP for appointment to SC

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Thursday rejected the names of five judges of High Court proposed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial for appointment to the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial presided over the meeting to discuss the names of the judges. Five members, out of total nine, opposed the names of the judges including Justice Qaisar Rasheed, Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Hassan Azhar, Justice Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Naimatullah.

Justice Faez Isa, Justice (retd) Tariq Masood, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the attorney general and Pakistan Bar Council representative opposed the names.

Justice (retd) Sarmad Jalal Usmani also votes against two judges from Sindh. CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Ejazul Ahsan and votes in the favour of the nominations.

The meeting was postponed for including more names.

There are 17 seats of judges in the Supreme Court and 13 judges, including the chief justice, are working. Five seats will fall vacant after the retirement of Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.