Govt mulls bypassing Zardari’s assent for judges’ appointment

Pakistan's federal government is exploring a way to bypass President Asif Ali Zardari's assent for appointing and confirming high court judges. The president has yet to formally approve recommendations made by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for these appointments. Sources indicate the government is reviewing the possibility of issuing notifications under Article 48(1) of the Constitution.

The JCP had recommended 19 additional judges for high courts, confirmed four additional judges for the Peshawar High Court, and one for the Lahore High Court. The tenure of an additional judge in the Sindh High Court was also extended. However, these appointments remain un-notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Presidency sources have cautioned that bypassing the established procedure could lead to significant complications. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a plea challenging the delay in notifying these judicial appointments. The situation highlights a potential standoff between the government and the presidency over judicial appointments.