The Judicial Commission of Pakistan constituted on Friday a committee for drafting rules to regulate procedures and criteria for the appointment of judges.

“The Judicial Commission of Pakistan unanimously decided to accord highest priority towards the framing of rules relating to regulating its procedure including the procedure and criteria for assessment, evaluation and fitness for appointment of Judges,” a Supreme Court press release said.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi presided over the meeting.

The committee would draft rules and share the same with the secretariat of the JCP by December 15, 2024. SC judge Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail is appointed committee’s chairman and other members include Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, PTI Senator Syed Ali Zafar, PPP Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, and Senior ASC Akhtar Hussain.

In its first meeting on November 5, the JCP — reconstituted under the 26th Amendment — appointed Justice Aminuddin Khan as head of the seven-judge constitutional bench by a majority vote of seven to five, with the CJP among the dissenting members.

The committee would have the support of the officials including JCP Secretary Niaz Muhammad Khan, SC research officers Zafar Iqbal and Qaiser Abbas.

The commission also approved the nomination of SC judge Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan for the constitutional benches of the apex court.

In its second meeting, the agenda of the appointment of additional judges for the Peshawar High Court was deferred till December 21. It was also decided to extend the date of submission of nominations for the appointment of additional judges till December 10.

The JCP (Sindh) nominated Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon and Justice Agha Faisal as judges of the constitutional benches of the Sindh High Court by a majority vote. In the meeting of the JCP (SHC), the agenda for the appointment of additional judges for the high court was deferred till December 21. It was also decided to extend the date of submission of nominations for the appointment of additional judges till December 10.

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Earlier, in a joint preliminary meeting, the commission received a detailed presentation from the IT experts on using technology in order to reduce the massive paper load involved in the decision-making process of the commission.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi informed the participants that “the move is intended to reduce the burden of the secretariat and members of the commission.” Members appreciated the efforts and agreed to switch to the technology gradually for ease of the members.