Introduction
On February 10, 2025, lawyers in Islamabad staged protests. They wanted the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to postpone a meeting. The JCP was set to choose eight new judges for the Supreme Court. Lawyers were upset about the 26th Constitutional Amendment and recent transfers of judges to the Islamabad High Court (HC).
The JCP Meeting
The JCP is important. It approves who gets to be a judge. This time, it had to fill eight empty spots in the Supreme Court. But things changed with the 26th Constitutional Amendment. This new rule added four members of parliament to the JCP. Some people did not like this change.
The Protests
Lawyers gathered in different parts of Islamabad. One group was near D-Chowk. They held a banner in Urdu saying the 26th Constitutional Amendment was not okay. They shouted slogans like “freedom” and “long live lawyers’ unity.” About 100 lawyers also tried to gather at Serena Chowk, but the way was blocked. They still protested there.
Previous Actions
This was not the first time lawyers showed they were upset. On February 3, lawyers in Islamabad had a strike. They did not work to protest the transfer of three high court judges to the IHC. Not many people joined this strike. But the Karachi Bar Association supported it by staying away.
The Transfer and SC Appointments
Saga Earlier this month, the JCP asked all high courts for names of senior judges. Each high court had to give five names. The IHC first sent three names. But later, another judge’s name was added. This made some judges upset. They said a judge should take a new oath when transferred to a different high court. This would change when their seniority started.
Opposition from Judges and Politicians
Four Supreme Court judges also had problems with the 26th Amendment. They wanted the JCP meeting to be postponed until decisions were made on petitions against the amendment. The opposition party PTI also wrote a letter asking for the meeting to be postponed.
Conclusion
The protests in Islamabad show that the legal community is worried about the JCP meeting and the 26th Constitutional Amendment. They believe these changes and the way judges are being transferred could affect the independence of the judiciary. The situation is still developing, and it is important to see how the JCP and the government will respond to these concerns.