Special Parliamentary Committee Nominates Justice Yahya Afridi as Chief Justice of Pakistan

The Special Parliamentary Committee has nominated Justice Yahya Afridi as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan. The committee’s approval came after a closed session held at the Parliament House, with the majority agreeing on Afridi’s name.

The 12-member committee convened behind closed doors in Committee Room 5, with prominent figures like Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Farooq H. Naik, Syed Naveed Qamar, Kamran Murtaza, Rana Ansar, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Khawaja Asif in attendance. However, the session was marked by the absence of Sunni Ittehad Council members Ali Zafar, Barrister Gohar, and Hamid Raza, who chose to boycott the proceedings.

During the meeting, the committee reviewed three nominees proposed by the Secretary of Law: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, and Justice Yahya Afridi, the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. After lengthy discussions, the committee reached a consensus on Justice Afridi, confirming his nomination with a two-thirds majority vote.

Justice Yahya Afridi had earlier declined a role on the three-judge panel constituted under the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Ordinance 2024, which added to the significance of his selection.

Efforts were made during the session to encourage broader participation. JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza reached out to Sunni Ittehad Council members, inviting them to join the discussions, but the offer was refused. Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasized the need to bring dissenting members on board, underscoring democratic values. In a bid to bridge the divide, a delegation including Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Rana Ansar was sent to engage with the Sunni Ittehad Council representatives.

The outreach extended to PTI members as well. Maulana Fazlur Rehman contacted PTI leader Asad Qaiser, and other committee members held discussions with a PTI delegation, urging them to participate. Despite these efforts, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar reaffirmed the party’s decision to boycott, citing opposition to what they viewed as unconstitutional amendments. Consequently, PTI maintained a complete boycott of the Chief Justice nomination process.