The appointment of a junior judge, Yahya Afridi, as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ignited a fresh wave of political and legal tension in the country, Bloomberg reports.
The move, made by a 12-member legislative committee, has been met with fierce opposition from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party, which sees the appointment as a violation of established norms.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced Afridi’s selection on Tuesday evening, stating that he was chosen by a two-thirds majority vote. Lawmakers from Khan’s group boycotted the meeting, claiming that bypassing senior judges was illegal. Khan’s party has vowed to challenge the appointment in court and is mobilizing supporters for street protests.
The appointment comes just two days after the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, amended the Constitution to reduce the judiciary’s power in selecting the Chief Justice. This amendment overturned a decades-old practice of automatically appointing the most senior judge to the position.
Government officials have defended the amendment, arguing that it is crucial for maintaining a balance of power between the parliament and the judiciary. They highlight the judiciary’s historical role in legitimizing military rule and ousting democratically elected leaders.
The appointment of Afridi has sparked concerns that it could further exacerbate political instability in Pakistan, which is already grappling with an economic crisis and facing pressure from the International Monetary Fund to implement structural reforms. Khan, who is currently imprisoned on corruption charges, has called for his supporters to protest since his removal from power in April 2022.
Afridi is set to take charge as Chief Justice on September 26, succeeding the retiring Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
