Farooq Naek Resign Judicial Commission Over Personal Commitments

ISLAMABAD, October 7, 2026: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farooq H. Naek has resigned from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), confirming that personal commitments had made it difficult for him to continue performing responsibilities as a member of the constitutional body.

Naek confirmed his resignation on Wednesday, saying he had decided to step down because of personal commitments. According to a report by Dawn, Naek conveyed his decision through a one-page letter addressed to Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is Leader of the House in the Senate. Naek described his service on the commission as an honour and privilege.

Naek’s Role in Judicial Commission

The senior PPP senator had been serving on the Judicial Commission as a parliamentary representative from the treasury benches and participated in proceedings concerning appointments to the superior judiciary. He has also served as chairman of the Senate and federal law minister and currently chairs the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

The National Assembly’s official record shows that Naek was among the parliamentary representatives nominated to the Judicial Commission following the 26th Constitutional Amendment. On November 2, 2024, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq forwarded the names of Senator Farooq Naek and Senator Shibli Faraz from the Senate, along with MNAs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad and Omar Ayub Khan from the National Assembly. Roshan Khursheed Bharucha was nominated separately to the designated woman-member seat.

The 2024 nominations were designed to provide representation from both government and opposition benches in the reconstituted commission. The JCP is the constitutional forum responsible for key processes relating to appointments in Pakistan’s superior judiciary.

Sheikh Aftab Also Reportedly Steps Down

Separately, sources cited in current reporting say PML-N MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, another parliamentary member of the Judicial Commission, has also stepped down. His resignation, however, had not been independently confirmed through an official parliamentary notification in the material reviewed by Islamabad Tribune at the time of publication. Sheikh Aftab currently represents NA-49, Attock-I, in the National Assembly.

Sources say the resulting changes are expected to lead to fresh nominations from Parliament, with the PML-N likely to nominate a representative from the Senate while the PPP is expected to put forward a National Assembly member for the Judicial Commission. No final names had been officially notified at the time of filing this report.

Bilawal’s Name Emerges as Possible Candidate

One current source-based report has identified PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as a possible candidate for membership of the commission following Naek’s departure, while leaving open the possibility that the party could select another representative. There has so far been no formal announcement confirming Bilawal’s nomination, meaning the possibility remains subject to a party and parliamentary decision.

Sources have characterised the anticipated change in parliamentary representation as part of a routine reconstitution process around the two-year mark. Official National Assembly records, however, show that the names of Naek and Sheikh Aftab were publicly forwarded for JCP membership on November 2, 2024, so any description of their terms as having already completed a full two years should presently be treated as a source-attributed assertion rather than an independently established date-based fact.

Fresh Nominations Expected

Fresh nominations are expected to clarify how the treasury benches will be represented in the Judicial Commission following the reported departures. Until Parliament or the relevant constitutional authorities issue formal notifications, reports concerning specific replacement candidates remain provisional.