Peshawar High Court chief justice criticises alleged nepotism in SC judge selection

WEB DESK: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Muhammad Ibrahim Khan raised issues over alleged nepotism and bias in the selection process for Supreme Court (SC) judges on Wednesday.

In a letter to Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Chairman Judicial Commission of Pakistan Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the PHC CJ expressed dismay over what he perceived as discrimination, and favouritism in the elevation of judges to the SC.

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Despite four vacancies, only one judge from the Balochistan High Court (BHC) Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan was appointed. The PHC judge questioned the exclusion of his own candidacy.

Khan pointed out that his years of service spanned more than three decades. He stated he was ‘committed’ to upholding justice within the country.

The PHC judge also pointed out the disproportionate allocation of judgeships, with only one judge appointed from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, compared to three from Balochistan.

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Khan clarified that his letter did not aim to contest specific decisions of the judiciary but rather to request an explanation concerning fairness and equality of opportunity within the Pakistani judiciary.