Both the government and opposition on Wednesday finalized names of lawmakers to sit on the reconstituted Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) in light of the recently enacted 26th Constitutional Amendment.
According to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), it has picked Senator Shibli Faraz and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan to represent the opposition in the JCP. Speaking to media, Ayub confirmed this, saying PTI founder Imran Khan conveyed instructions for the same. Meanwhile, the government has finalized the names of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari from the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Senator Irfan Siddiqui.
The JCP, following the enactment of the 26th constitutional amendment, comprises 13 members: the chief justice of Pakistan; three senior-most judges; two lawmakers of the opposition and two of the government; the attorney general for Pakistan; the law minister; an advocate nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council; a senior-most judge of the constitutional bench; and a woman or non-Muslim qualified to be a parliamentarian nominated by the speaker.
The JCP’s first order of business would be to designate judges for a constitutional bench. The 26th constitutional amendment has also empowered it to review the conduct of high court judges and grant them time for remedial measures before seeking their removal.