Three HC Chief Justices Sworn in as Supreme Court Judges

Islamabad: In a significant development for Pakistan’s judiciary, three high court chief justices were sworn in as Supreme Court judges today following their elevation, which was recently notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan of Lahore High Court (LHC), Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi of Sindh High Court (SHC), and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan of Lahore High Court during a ceremony held at the apex court.

The appointments came after President Asif Ali Zardari approved their elevation under Article 177. Following Chief Justice Shahzad’s elevation, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan has been appointed as acting Chief Justice of Lahore High Court under Article 196, according to a notification issued by the law ministry.
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The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), chaired by CJP Isa, recommended the elevation of these high court chief justices to the Supreme Court judges earlier this month. The decision followed detailed deliberations within the commission, resulting in a 5-4 majority in favor of the elevations.

Previously, the Supreme Court’s strength was 14 judges compared to the constitutional capacity of 17, necessitating these appointments to fill vacancies left by former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s retirement and the resignations of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.