JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND THE CRISIS OF MERIT:A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DISPLACEMENT IN THE HIGH COURTS OF ISLAMABAD

Abstract

The process of appointing judges to the High Courts of Islamabad stands at a critical juncture. This paper argues that the foundational principle of merit-based selection is facing a severe crisis, one that is being steadily displaced by political considerations and institutional maneuvering. Rather than a straightforward application of legal qualifications, judicial appointments have become a contested arena where the independence of the judiciary is subtly compromised. We explore how the delicate balance envisioned by the constitution has been tilted, allowing external pressures and internal politics to influence who sits on the bench. The consequences of this shift are profound, leading to a weakening of public trust and a judiciary whose perceived legitimacy is increasingly under strain. This analysis traces the mechanisms of this influence and questions the long-term health of a judicial system when merit is no longer its primary compass.