Farhan Qureshi 
President Asif Ali Zardari on August 11, 2026, approved the appointment of 19 additional judges to Pakistan’s high courts, with President Zardari ending a weeks-long deadlock over the appointments. The decision also confirmed five other judges to permanent membership of the higher judiciary.
The appointments were made on the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and the summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This development is significant for the dispensation of justice in Pakistan as the delay had posed practical difficulties in several high courts, including the expiry of terms of some sitting additional judges.
President Zardari Makes Long Overdue Judicial Appointments
The Presidency has approved the appointment of five high courts, including Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court, Peshawar High Court, Islamabad High Court and Balochistan High Court. The 19 additional judges will serve for one year from the date they take the oath.
The JCP had recommended the appointments on July 20 and 21, but formal approval had been pending for several weeks. That delay became a constitutional and administrative matter that was subject to differing interpretations from government and presidential legal teams of the relevant provisions.
Largest Number Of Judges For Lahore High Court
The biggest share of the new appointments went to the Lahore High Court, which was granted 10 additional judges on the basis of the JCP recommendations. The group includes advocates and legal professionals with experience in a variety of legal practice areas.
The nominees include a woman and advocates Shireen Imran, Amir Ajam Malik, Asad Ali Bajwa, Barrister Muhammad Usman Ghani Rashid Cheema, Ghulam Sarwar Nihung, Khalid Ibn-i-Aziz, Muhammad Ajmal Khan Zahid, Muhammad Amjad Pervaiz, Munawar Iqbal Duggal and Syed Farhad Ali.
Three More Judges For Sindh High Court
In the approved arrangement, three more judges were inducted into the Sindh High Court. The appointees include Advocate Muhammad Humayon Khan, District and Sessions Judge Suresh Kumar and Advocate Dr Shah Nawaz Memon.
Appointments In Islamabad High Court Restore Judicial Capacity
Three more judges have also been appointed to the Islamabad High Court. The nominees are District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, Advocate Ayyaz Shaukat, and Advocate Umair Majeed Malik.
Three Judges Reach Balochistan High Court Too
Three judges have been added to the Balochistan High Court on approved recommendations. District and Sessions Judges Allah Dad Roshan and Abdul Qayyum Lehri and Advocate Muhammad Rauf Atta were posted to the additional posts.
Peshawar High Court Makes Four Judges Permanent
The approvals also included confirmation of four more judges of the Peshawar High Court as permanent judges. The Justices are Farah Jamshed, Inamullah Khan, Sabitullah Khan and Aurangzeb.
Deadlock Lasting Weeks Led To Legal Uncertainty
Those appointments have been pending since the JCP recommendations were submitted in July. Presidential assent was not immediately given or returned for reconsideration, and an oath-taking ceremony scheduled for July 27 was indefinitely postponed.
Recommendations Of Judicial Commission Still Key
However, the appointment process for the judges of the superior judiciary continues to be based on the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. In this case, the President’s approval followed the commission’s recommendations and a summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Proceedings Of The IHC Highlight The Need For Immediate Action
The appointment row took a new turn with the proceedings at the Islamabad High Court. This is the latest development after a petition challenging the delay in notifying the recommendations and the court issuing notices to the President, the federation and the Attorney General.
More Judicial Benefits Approved Along With Appointments
President Zardari also approved equalisation of salaries, allowances and pensions of the judges of the Supreme Court with the judges of the Federal Constitutional Court. The Presidency also approved amendments to the 1997 order relating to leave, pensions and privileges of judges of the High Court.
What The Appointments Mean For Pakistan’s Courts
The immediate impact of the decision is that it returns certainty to 19 additional judicial positions and five permanent confirmations. The move provides several high courts with clearer staffing structures after weeks of uncertainty.
Rapid Judicial Appointments Can Improve Institutional Stability
The end of the deadlock on the appointment gives Pakistan a chance to improve coordination between the Presidency, the government and the Judicial Commission. More transparent procedures and prompt action could reduce the likelihood of similar disruptions to court operations in the future.
The latest decision also underlines the need to maintain judicial capacity in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Balochistan. The higher judiciary has more institutional continuity with approval of 19 more judges and confirmation of five judges on a permanent basis.
The wider significance will in the end be a function of how well the new appointees can help in case disposal, legal certainty and access to justice. For Pakistan, continued judicial efficiency can reinforce public institutions, promote economic activity and increase confidence in constitutional governance.
