*ISLAMABAD: *

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan link (JCP)has asked Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan tosubmit fresh names for the appointment as the additional LHC judges “at theearliest”, sources told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.

The JCP – a constitutional body to recommend names for appointmentslinktothe superior courts – said in a letter to the LHC chief justice that afterthe withdrawal of the names proposed earlier by him during a JCP meeting, anegative impression of the institution had emerged in the public eyes.

Therefore, the commission has asked the LHC CJ to send new nominations atthe earliest for the appointment of additional judges in the high court,the sources in the LHC said. Following the letter, a senior lawyer expectedaround a dozen names would be forwarded to the commission soon.

While forwarding the nominations, the letter said, information regardingthe nominees from the bar might be provided, mentioning the cases in whichthe nominee has himself pleaded, but excluding short matters, miscellaneousapplications, cases dismissed for non-prosecution or withdrawn.

The last time six judges were appointed to the LHC in October 2018. Sincethen, no judge has been appointed, while 20 out of 60 judicial positions atthe country’s biggest high court are lying vacant. On January 12, CJ QasimMuhammad Khan withdrew all the names he had proposed to the JCP.

It is learnt that a subcommittee of four JCP members had expressedreservations over the majority of nominees proposed by the LHC chiefjustice. However, it remained unclear why the complete list was withdrawn.At that time, the superior bars had given strong reaction to the withdrawalof the names.

Earlier, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) had expressed serious concernover delay in the appointment of judges to the superior courts –particularly to LHC – and said this delay was a “major hurdle” in provisionof justice to the general public.

In a statement on Monday, the SCBA said this delay was not only resultingin increasing the pendency of cases and sufferings of the litigants butalso caused anxiety in the legal fraternity. The lawyers’ body urged theJCP to fulfil its foremost