Differences between PPP and PML-N over judicial appointments ‘have eased’

• Induction comes amid differences between two coalition partners.
• Sources say differences between PPP and PML-N have eased.
• Next meeting for JCP is scheduled this month on October 13.
  

ISLAMABAD: The induction of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Rana Sanaullah into the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) comes amid recent differences between the two coalition partners over appointments to the superior judiciary, with sources suggesting that a fresh understanding could lead to reconsideration of PPP-backed candidates.

The two leaders were formally appointed members of the commission following the resignations of PPP Senator Farooq H Naek and PML-N member Sheikh Aftab Ahmad. Bilawal will represent the treasury benches in the National Assembly, while Rana Sanaullah will represent the Senate.

The appointments follow months of reported dissatisfaction within the PPP over its inability to secure the commission’s approval for several candidates it had supported for judicial positions.

According to media reports, Senator Farooq H Naek had proposed 33 candidates for appointments to the high courts: 16 for the Sindh High Court, 10 for the Lahore High Court, five for the Balochistan High Court and two for the Islamabad High Court. These reports said the PPP failed to secure approval for its preferred candidates in the relevant deliberations.

Sources familiar with the latest political discussions now suggest that differences between the PPP and PML-N over judicial appointments have eased. They believe the evolving understanding between the coalition partners could provide an opportunity for some PPP-backed candidates to be reconsidered in future rounds of appointments.

However, the extent of any such understanding, and whether it includes agreement on specific candidates, remains unclear. There is also no public confirmation of such an understanding by the two parties.

Bilawal’s inclusion in the commission is particularly significant in the context of the PPP’s reported demand for a greater say in judicial appointments. The party had previously expressed dissatisfaction after its preferred candidates failed to obtain the necessary support, while its senior legal representative, Farooq H Naek, had proposed candidates for several high courts. Apparently for the same reason, the Presidency had recently delayed approval of many appointments. The commission’s composition has become an important factor in the debate over judicial appointments following constitutional changes that expanded parliamentary representation in the process. Its decisions, however, continue to depend on the commission’s voting procedure.

The JCP’s next meeting is scheduled for October 13, 2026, with the extension of the term of the Sindh High Court’s constitutional benches on the reported agenda.

Originally published in The News