ISLAMABAD - The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has recommended the elevation of Balochistan High Court judge Naeem Akhtar Afghan as the judge of the Supreme Court, and appointment of Justice Shehzad Ahmed Malik as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
In this regard, the Commission Friday held the meeting, which was headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa and four senior judges of the apex court, and one SC retired judge, Attorney General for Pakistan, law minister, and a representative of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC). Justice Afghan will serve in the Supreme Court until he reaches the age of superannuation in 2028.
The JCP meeting also approved the appointment of Justice Shehzad Ahmad Malik as Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. The incumbent chief justice of LHC, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, is set to retire on March 7. The names of both the judges have been forward to the Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment for final approval. Though the total number of positions in the Supreme Court is 17, it currently has only 14 judges. SC Senior Puisne Judge Sardar Tariq Masood is also scheduled to retire next month, on March 10. Born in 1963 to a government servant, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan received his initial education in Quetta and graduated with a degree in Economics and Statistics in 1985. He then went on to complete his LLB in 1988 from University Law College Quetta. He practiced law for 21 years before joining the Balochistan High Court in 2011. He was elevated as a judge of the court in 2012. He became chief justice of the BHC in 2021 and served on the post till his elevation to the Supreme Court.