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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a petition challenging the delay in the approval of judicial appointments for high courts across the country. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition filed by advocate Luqman Zafar Chaudhary through his counsel Zahid Asif Chaudhry. The petitioner requested the court to direct President Asif Ali Zardari to approve a summary forwarded by the prime minister for the appointment of 19 additional judges and the confirmation of five judges in the Islamabad, Lahore, Sindh, Balochistan and Peshawar high courts. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) had recommended the appointments during its meetings held on July 20 and 21. He said the summary was later sent to the president for approval, but no decision has been made despite the passage of more than two weeks. The counsel maintained that the delay is affecting the functioning of the superior judiciary. He informed the court that the tenure of an additional judge of the Sindh High Court has already expired, while the terms of four additional judges of the Peshawar High Court are expected to end within the coming days. The lawyer also told the court that reports suggest the government may issue notifications regarding the appointments within the next 48 hours. Justice Tahir repeatedly questioned whether a constitutional petition could legally be maintained against the president. He asked the petitioner’s counsel to cite any previous court ruling in which a writ had been issued against the president regarding the exercise of constitutional powers. The court observed that the judgments presented by the petitioner did not support the argument that courts could direct the president in matters governed by Article 48 of the Constitution. Justice Tahir asked whether any legal precedent existed requiring the president to act on such matters through a judicial order. The petitioner’s counsel argued that Article 48 requires the president to act on the advice of the prime minister or the cabinet. He maintained that the president has no independent authority to indefinitely delay judicial appointments once the Judicial Commission has completed its recommendations. The lawyer further argued that the Ministry of Law is the competent authority to issue appointment notifications after the completion of the constitutional process. He claimed that the president’s role in the appointment process is largely formal and that unnecessary delays should not hinder the functioning of the judiciary. The petitioner requested the court to seek responses from the federal government, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Law regarding the status of the pending summary. However, the court declined to issue notices at this stage.

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah chaired a high-level meeting on the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), where officials reviewed the province’s security situation, operational performance, investigations, infrastructure and future requirements. Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho, Additional IG CTD Zulfiqar Larik and other senior officials attended the meeting. The meeting was informed that banned militant and insurgent organisations continue to pose a security challenge to Sindh. However, officials said terrorist incidents in the province had declined significantly during 2026. According to Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Sindh reported 37 terrorism incidents in 2025. The number fell to nine in 2026, representing a decline of around 76 per cent. The Sindh police chief told the meeting that seven of the nine terrorism cases reported this year had been traced and their investigations completed. Officials said the CTD conducted 918 intelligence-based operations across the province during 2026. These operations resulted in the arrest of 87 suspected terrorists, while four militants were killed in separate encounters. The briefing said the CTD had dismantled several militant networks allegedly involved in attacks on police personnel and sensitive installations. During a follow-up operation in Karachi, the department arrested a key suspect and an associate. Weapons and explosive material were also recovered from their possession. The suspects are allegedly wanted in several cases involving the targeted killing of police officers. According to the IG Sindh, more than 2,000 kilograms of explosive material were recovered during operations against militant networks. Four militants affiliated with banned insurgent organisations were also killed in encounters. The home minister said several planned attacks on law enforcement agencies and important installations had been foiled. He added that the CTD had also dismantled a network allegedly involved in attacks on railway tracks in northern Sindh. The operation helped prevent planned acts of sabotage, officials said. The meeting also reviewed progress in the investigation into the Karachi Training Centre attack. The police chief told the chief minister that nine suspects had so far been arrested in the case. A Joint Investigation Team has also been formed to conduct a detailed probe. Officials said several investigative sessions had been held during the inquiry and a number of alleged facilitators had been identified. The investigation is still under way. The meeting was also briefed on the performance of the CTD Fusion Centre. Officials said the centre had significantly improved the collection and analysis of intelligence as well as digital investigations. Hundreds of social media accounts allegedly linked to extremist activities have also been blocked or reported, according to the briefing. The Sindh home minister proposed additional resources for modern intelligence software and digital forensic tools. He also called for strengthening crime analytics platforms and systems equipped with artificial intelligence to improve the department’s ability to identify and respond to emerging security threats. The meeting was further informed that major projects for the development of CTD infrastructure across Sindh were under way. Officials said construction of a separate CTD complex in Sukkur had also begun under the province’s Annual Development Programme.