A parliamentary committee has been constituted under the 26th Constitutional Amendment to nominate the new Chief Justice of Pakistan. The official notification lists 12 members, including eight from the National Assembly and four from the Senate.
Senate members include Senator Ali Zafar (PTI), Senator Kamran Murtaza (JUI), Senator Azam Nazir Tarar (PML-N), and Senator Farooq H. Naik (PPP). The National Assembly members consist of Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, and Shaista Parvez Malik from PML-N; Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar from PPP; Rana Ansar from MQM; and Barrister Gohar Khan and Sahibzada Hamid Raza from the Sunni Ittehad Council.
The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for today (October 22) at 4 PM, where members will work towards finalizing the nomination. The new Chief Justice will be selected from the top three senior judges of the Supreme Court, with the decision requiring a two-thirds majority. The selected name will then be sent to the Prime Minister for approval, after which a formal notification will be issued.
This committee was formed following consultations with major parliamentary parties, ensuring proportional representation. As per Clause 3B of Article 175A of the Constitution, the selection now includes a panel of three senior judges, marking a shift from the previous seniority-based approach.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Yahya Afridi are the leading contenders, with Justice Afridi reportedly being a top candidate due to his neutral stance.
The 26th Amendment also fixes the Chief Justice’s term at three years or until the age of 65.
