FOCUSWORD: President Zardari judicial appointments
ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari has enacted a series of major judicial and executive, approving the appointment of additional judges to multiple high courts, confirming several as permanent members of the bench, and standardizing the compensation framework the superior judiciary.
The presidential orders, issued late Monday, cover the high courts of Lahore, Sindh, Baloch, Islamabad, and Peshawar. The move follows recommendations from Judicial Commission meetings held on July 20 and , which had 19 additional judges, the permanent confirmation of five additional judges, and a tenure extension for one judge.
Judicialations and Standardized Benefits
Beyond the new appointments, President Zardari formally confirmed certain additional judges of theh High Court and Lahore High Court as permanent judges. In a parallel financial reform, he approved measures to bring the salaries, allowances, pensions of Supreme Court judges into parity with those of judges serving on the Federal Constitutional Court.
The president also sanctioned amendments to 1997 order governing leave, pensions, and other privileges for high court judges, signaling a comprehensive overhaul of judicial service conditions.Executive Appointment and Prior Legal Challenge
In a separate executive decision, Haroon Akhtar was approved appointment as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Industries and Production, strengthening the government’s economic team.
The approvals come just day after the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the president and prime minister over delays in processing the judicial appointment summary. The court, hearing petition filed by Luqman Zafar, had demanded a response by Tuesday and questioned the federal government’s handling of the matter.
During that hearing, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir expressed strong displeasure, questioning Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez whether the government had any interest in resolving the impasse. The judge noted that confirmations for the Sindh and Peshawar high had also been stalled despite Judicial Commission approval. The rapid presidential action appears to directly address the judicial scrutiny that had threatened to escalate into a confrontation.
