Islamabad (Web Desk): Three high court judges took oath as Supreme Court (SC) judges on Tuesday after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment on Monday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faiz Isa administered the oath to the newly appointed judges of the top court including Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, and LHC Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan.
The ceremony took place at the apex court in Islamabad.
Supreme Court Judges, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and lawyers participated in the oath taking ceremony.
Earlier on Monday, the Ministry of Law and Justice on Monday notified the appointment of three judges of the Supreme Court (SC).
“In exercise of the power conferred under clause (1) of Article 177 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan the president is pleased to appoint Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan and LHC’s judge Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan as judges of the Supreme Court (SC) with effect from the date they take oath of their offices,” a notification issued by the ministry said.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), chaired by the CJP, had recommended the elevations earlier this month. The JCP's decision was reached by a 5-4 majority after detailed deliberations.
Out of the nine members of the commission, four – Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice (retd) Manzoor Ahmed Malik – opposed the elevation of the LHC chief justice to the Supreme Court.
However, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Amin-ud-Din, Azam Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, and Pakistan Bar Council representative Akhtar Hussain voted in favour of Justice Shahzad's elevation.
The SC now has 17 judges, filling the vacancies left by the retirement of former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and the resignations of Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.