JCP rejects CJP Bandial's nominees for Supreme Court elevation.

ISLAMABAD -- The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) Thursday rejected Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial's nominated judges of higher courts for their appointment to the Supreme Court, sources told media.

CJP Bandial presided over the judicial commission's session, where a total of five judges, two from the Sindh High Court and three from the Lahore High Court (LHC), were considered.

The chief justice, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah voted in favour of the nominees, while Justice (retd) Sarmad Jalal Usmani voted in favour of three judges from LHC and voted against the SHC nominees, sources said.

However, according to sources, their votes were less as Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Tariq Masood, Attorney-General Ashtar Ausaf Ali, and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar voted against all the five nominees.

Upon receiving five votes against the nominees, the chief justice ended the session without reaching a decision, sources added.

Had they been approved, then in line with Article 175-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, the JCP would have forwarded the list to the parliamentary committees for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.

Just two days before the JCP session, senior puisne judge Justice Isa had written a letter to the commission, seeking postponement of today's meeting, stating that the matter "requires utmost care and due deliberation as it is a matter of extreme delicacy".

The justice has severely criticised CJP Bandial for scheduling the meeting at such...