Pakistani parliamentary panel picks a judge third on seniority list to head Supreme Court

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Government officials in Pakistan say a parliamentary panel has recommended the appointment of one of the three senior judges as the chief justice. Tuesday’s move virtually blocked the senior-most judge from heading the top court. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government will now send a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari to appoint Yahya Afridi as the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Afridi’s name was third on the list of a three-judge panel that was considered by the committee. The latest development comes days before the current Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa retires after completion of his term.