Islamabad:
The Legal Commission for Pakistan (JCP) held four sessions on Tuesday, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, and approved the appointments of permanent head of four high courts, Sindh, Balochistan, Peshawar and Islamabad.
The approval was given with majority votes. The new Chief Justices is Justice Rozi Khan Barrch for Balochistan High Court (BHC); Justice Sarfaraz Dogar for Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Attique Shah for Peshawar High Court (PHC) and Justice Junaid Ghaffar for Sindh High Court.
“Today, on July 1, 2025, four meetings were held in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan in the conference room in the Supreme Court building in Islamabad,” a press release issued by the Supreme Court states.
The first meeting considered the appointment of PHC’s Chief Justice. “At the meeting, the Commission has by a majority of its overall membership nominated Mr. Justice Sm Attique Shah, functioning Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, as Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court,” the release said.
The second JCP meeting convened half an hour later to consider the appointment of BHC Chief Justice. “By a majority of its total membership, the Commission has nominated Mr. Justice Rozi Khan Barch, acting Chief Justice for the High Court of Balochistan, as the Supreme Court Supreme Court.”
The third meeting considered the appointment of the SHC chief court “At the meeting, the Commission by consensus has nominated Mr. Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, who served as the Supreme Court of High Court of Sindh, as Chief Justice for High Court of Sindh,” the press release states.
The last meeting concerned the appointment of IHC’s Chief Justice. “By a majority of its total membership, the Commission has nominated Mr. Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, acting Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, as Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court,” the release said.
According to sources, Justice Dogar got nine votes. They said four members, Chief Justice Afridi, PTI members Senator Ali Zafar and Barrister Gohar and Islamabad wore Council’s representative Zulfiqar Abbasi voted to appoint Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb as IHC chief.
At the meeting, justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail did not vote for any judge, while Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar voted for justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.
Justice Aminuddin Khan, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar, Pakistan Bar Council -Representative Ahsan Bhawan, Senator Farooq H Naek, National Assembly Member Sheikh Aftab, Roshan Barocha, Rana Tanveer and Justice (Retd) Shaukat Aziz Dare in the favorite of Justice.
According to sources, an objection was also raised to postpone the session regarding (IHC) Chief Justice until the final decision on the judges’ transfer in court, but this remained a minority opinion.
