*Appointment of Judges to High Courts settled as President gives approval*

*ISLAMABAD:* President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of additional judges to various high courts and confirmation of certain additional judges as permanent judges.

According to a statement issued by the Press Wing of the President’s Office on Tuesday, the President approved the appointment of additional judges to the Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court, Peshawar High Court, Islamabad High Court and Balochistan High Court.

He also approved the confirmation of certain additional judges of the Lahore High Court and Sindh High Court as permanent judges.

The President further approved amendments relating to the leave, pension and other benefits of high court judges under the 1997 order. He also approved bringing the salaries, allowances and pensions of Supreme Court judges at par with those of judges of the Federal Constitutional Court.

President Zardari also approved the appointment of Haroon Akhtar Khan as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production.

The appointments had remained pending at the Presidency after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan approved the names of 19 additional judges for four high courts during its meetings held on July 20 and 21. The delay in presidential approval had also led to the postponement of the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for July 27.

The prolonged pendency had also created concerns over the completion of the tenure of some additional judges and the resulting shortage of judges in certain high courts.