Justices Aqeel Abbasi and Ali Baqar Najafi have been inducted into the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench following approval by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).
Chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the JCP convened on Thursday at the Supreme Court with full attendance to deliberate on the nominations. As per the Supreme Court’s official statement, both judges were approved by a majority vote, raising the total number of judges on the constitutional bench to 15.
Justice Abbasi was endorsed by eight members, while Justice Najafi secured two votes. According to sources, PTI representatives Barrister Gohar Ali and Barrister Senator Ali Zafar chose not to vote in favor of the nominees. They reportedly emphasized the need to establish clear criteria for inducting judges into the constitutional bench. Instead, they proposed the names of Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Athar Minallah, and Shahid Waheed, citing seniority.
Meanwhile, a full court meeting was also held on Thursday, presided over by Chief Justice Afridi. The session focused on several key matters, including the Pakistan Bar Council’s recommendations on enrolling retired high court judges as Supreme Court advocates, improving access to information, the asset declaration process, and reviewing the draft Supreme Court Rules 2025.
Judges actively contributed with valuable input, and the working of the Supreme Court Rules Amendment Committee along with the registrar’s office received commendation. It was also unanimously agreed to convene the next full court meeting soon to further advance the reform agenda underway in the apex court.
