On Friday, three justices of the high court, including Justice Athar Minallah, took the oath of office as Supreme Court justices.
- Justices Athar Minallah, Shahid Waheed, and Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi were sworn in by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial.
- Justice Waheed was employed by the Lahore High Court, whereas Justice Rizvi was employed by the Sindh High Court.
- Prior to being promoted, Justice Minallah served as the IHC’s chief justice.
After the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) accepted the three judges’ elevation last month, they were given the oath of office.
The Supreme Court had a total of 17 judges, although five were absent before their oath of office. There are now only two open positions on the bench of the supreme court.
Justice Minallah’s nomination was made during the JCP meeting with a unanimous vote, while Justice Rizvi and Justice Waheed were recommended by a 5 to 4 vote.
Following the retirement of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and justices Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Maqbool Baqir, Sajjad Ali Shah, and Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, five seats on the supreme court became vacant.
The names of the recommended judges were forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Judges for final approval following the commission’s approval.
