Following the enactment of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a parliamentary committee has been formed to appoint the next Chief Justice of Pakistan and will hold its first meeting at 4 PM today. The committee will consider a panel of three senior judges.

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf requested nominations from the Senate Chairman and parliamentary leaders. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani subsequently solicited names from the various parliamentary leaders. The committee comprises eight members from the National Assembly and four senators.

The National Assembly members include: Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Shaista Pervaiz Malik (Pakistan Muslim League-N); Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar (Pakistan Peoples Party); Runa Ansar (Muttahida Qaumi Movement); Barrister Gohar Ali Khan (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf); and Sahibzada Hamid Raza (Sunni Ittehad Council).

The Senate members are: Farooq H Naik (PPP), Azam Nazir Tarar (PML-N), Barrister Ali Zafar (PTI), and Kamran Murtaza (JUI-F).

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The committee’s first in-camera meeting, to be held in the Constitution Room, will focus on considering nominations for the Chief Justice position. Notice of the meeting has been issued by the National Assembly Secretary.

The Pakistan Peoples Party nominated Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar from the National Assembly and Farooq H Naik for the Senate. Sources within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf confirmed their participation in the committee.

The Sunni Ittehad Council finalized three names: Barrister Gohar, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Senator Ali Zafar. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam nominated Senator Kamran Murtaza.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz nominated Azam Nazir Tarar for the Senate and Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Shaista Pervaiz Malik for the National Assembly. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement nominated Rana Ansar.