Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi summoned maiden sitting of the 13-member Judicial Commission of Pakistan on November 5 to mull nomination of judges for constitutional benches in the Supreme Court.

The development came hours after the National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq nominated four parliamentarians from the upper and lower houses, along with one woman, for the JCP, making a total of five nominations.

The NA speaker sent the names for the 13-member commission through a letter to the Supreme Judicial Commission (SJC).

According to a notification issued by the JCP secretary, the commission’s meeting would be held at 2pm on Tuesday (November 5) in the SC building.

The agenda of the meeting includes establishment of the secretariat of the commission, nomination of judges for the constitutional benches in the top court and any other matter with the permission of the CJP.

According to the 26th Amendment, five members of Parliament are to be included in the judicial commission.

The nomination of names from Parliament is on the basis of equal representation from both the government and the opposition. The Supreme Court has received all nominations.

Sadiq forwarded names after consulting Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and all the parliamentary parties. The female member, Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, of the commission hails from Balochistan and is a former senator.

These nominations were made by the Speaker of the National Assembly as per sub-paragraph (viii) of clause (2) of Article 175A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which permits the Speaker NA to nominate a woman or a non-Muslim to the Judicial Commission.