Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Shibli Faraz resigned from his position on the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Wednesday, just one day after his party colleague, Omar Ayub, also stepped down.
Faraz’s resignation comes as both politicians face legal challenges within the party, prompting their decisions to leave the commission.
In his resignation letter, Faraz nominated Senator Barrister Ali Zafar to take his place on the 13-member JCP, following the instructions of PTI’s founder, Imran Khan. The JCP is responsible for overseeing judicial appointments to the Supreme Court, high courts, and Federal Shariat Court. It also evaluates the performance of high court judges. The commission is led by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and includes representatives from both the legislative and judicial branches, as well as legal experts.
Faraz had been appointed to the JCP last month after the forum was restructured under the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Meanwhile, Omar Ayub, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, resigned from the JCP on Tuesday. He cited multiple FIRs and ongoing legal cases as the reason for his departure. Ayub stated that the legal challenges he was facing were affecting his ability to perform his duties on the commission, and he felt it would be better for someone else to take over the role. He nominated Barrister Gohar, the PTI chairman, to replace him on the commission and requested the Speaker of the National Assembly to accept his resignation and formally appoint Gohar.
Sources within PTI have confirmed that changes are being made to the party’s representatives in the JCP. Barrister Ali Zafar will replace Shibli Faraz as PTI’s permanent representative in the Senate for JCP meetings. Additionally, either Barrister Gohar or Latif Khosa is expected to take Ayub’s place in the commission. The replacements are seen as a response to the legal cases both Ayub and Faraz are facing. Once Ayub completes his bail procedures, he is expected to return as PTI’s representative on the JCP.