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       The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Monday approved the names of nine judges for the constitutional benches in the Sindh High Court (SHC).

       Earlier this month, the Sindh Assembly became the first provincial legislature to approve the resolution necessary for the formation of a constitutional bench in the province, under the recently adopted 26th Constitutional Amendment.

       Subsequently, the SHC decided not to fix the constitutional petitions pending before it for hearing till the formation of constitutional benches after a provincial law officer informed it about the resolution’s approval.

       Monday’s meeting was headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, who is also chairman of the JCP, solely to discuss the formation of constitutional benches in the SHC, according to a press release issued by the Supreme Court, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.

       The commission approved the judges’ names with a majority of 11 to four after an “extensive and thoughtful exchange of views”, for a period of two months, with Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha selected as the head.

       The other eight judges included Justices Salim Jessar, Omar Sial, Yousaf Ali Sayeed, Abdul Mobeen Lakho, Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, Sana Akram Minhas, Khadim Hussain Soomro and Arbab Ali Hakro.

       The meeting was attended by Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar (who attended by video link), Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, SHC Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and SHC Senior Puisne Judge Naimatullah Phulpoto.

       Also in attendance were Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General of Pakistan Usman Awan, Senator Farooq Naek and Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, among others.