ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court has delayed the oath-taking ceremony for newly appointed judges, which was initially set for Wednesday.
Reports in local media said the ceremony will now take place on Friday due to delay in notification. Ministry of Law and Justice shared notifications, appointing six permanent judges and one acting judge to the country’s apex court.
The newly appointed permanent judges are Justices Hashim Khan Kakar, Shafi Siddiqui, Salahuddin Panhwar, Shakeel Ahmed, Amir Farooq, and Ishtiaq Ibrahim. Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb has been appointed as an acting judge.
The delay in finalizing these crucial appointments led to the rescheduling of the ceremony, which will now take place on Friday, as confirmed by the ministry. This delay has prompted a shift in the court’s schedule, but the new judges are expected to assume their roles after the formal swearing-in ceremony later this week.
The appointments have been criticized by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and other lawyer groups, who called them unconstitutional and vowed to challenge them. In response, protests broke out in Islamabad, with lawyers rallying against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which they argue undermines judicial independence.
The recent development follows earlier protests and a strike over judicial transfers, with the Lahore High Court Bar Association also requesting a postponement of the JCP meeting.
JCP approves six Supreme Court judges amid boycott by senior judges, PTI lawyers
