Key Takeaways
- Farooq H Naek has resigned from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.
- He cited personal commitments as the reason for his resignation.
- Naek served as a senator and law minister, representing the PPP.
PPP stalwart Farooq H Naek has resigned from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), a constitutional body responsible for appointing judges in the superior judiciary. In a letter addressed to Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Naek expressed his gratitude for the honour of serving on the JCP.
Naek, who has also served as chairman of the upper house of Parliament, stated that his resignation was due to personal commitments. He had previously participated in numerous JCP proceedings to appoint judges for high courts and the Supreme Court.
A seasoned lawyer, Naek represented PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari before the Supreme Court (SC) in a presidential reference case related to the murder of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He also appeared in several constitutional petitions, including those concerning reserved seats, accountability laws, and provincial assembly disputes.
Naek gained prominence during the tenure of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf, when he defended late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Zardari in various corruption and criminal cases. As a law minister, he also defended the federal government in the infamous graft case against Zardari, eventually dispatching a letter to Swiss legal authorities in line with SC directions.
Naek has been a senator from Sindh since 2003 and served as law minister after the 2008 general elections. He was reappointed in April 2012 after his term as Senate chairman.
His resignation from the JCP is seen as a significant development in the political landscape of Pakistan, given his long-standing association with the PPP and his contributions to legal and political spheres.
