President Zardari approves additional judges' appointments to high courts, ending weeks-long deadlock

President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of additional judges for the five high courts on Tuesday, bringing an end to a weeks-long impasse between his office and the government. The Presidency announced that he had also confirmed some of these judges as permanent members. The decisions were based on recommendations from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which had submitted its report in July.

The JCP proposed the appointment of 19 additional judges to Lahore, Islamabad, Sindh, and Balochistan High Courts, as well as the confirmation of four additional judges for Peshawar High Court and a six-month extension for an additional judge at Sindh High Court. The delay in presidential assent had caused practical complications for the superior judiciary, with several appointments expiring due to the lack of formal notifications.

The government had considered invoking Article 48(1) of the Constitution to issue the notifications, but later concluded that the matter was now under judicial review and no immediate action could be taken. The Presidency's legal team argued that Article 175-A did not set a specific timeframe for the president's action, while the government maintained that judicial appointments were strictly governed by constitutional provisions.

Additionally, President Zardari approved the equalization of judges' salaries, allowances, and pensions with those of the Federal Constitutional Court judges, and amendments to a 1997 order concerning high court judges' leave, pensions, and privileges.