Islamabad:
The state’s chief legal officer on Thursday told the Apex Court that the Legal Commission in Pakistan (JCP) would not likely convene a meeting in the near future to appoint a permanent head of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
A five-member constitutional bench (CB) from the Supreme Court resumed the hearing of a number of petitions filed against the transfer of three judges from three different provincial high courts to IHC and the subsequent update of the court’s Judge’s Siening List.
Law of Law On February 1, a review of the transfer of justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Khadim Hussain Somro and Justice Muhammad Asif – respected from Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court and Balochistan High Court – to IHC.
After this transfer, IHC issued a new seniority list that ranked Justice Dogar as the Senior Puisne judge. Five IHC judges – Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz – Later filed representations against Justice Dogar.
However, the then IHC High Court, Aamer Farooq rejected these representations. After raising Justice Farooq to the Supreme Court, Justice Dogar was also increased as IHC functioning Chief Justice.
The IHC judges, PTI founder Imran Khan, and four different bar associations were among the seven petries that challenged Justice Aamer Farooq’s order in the Supreme Court.
However, during the hearing of the case, Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) told the bench led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and consists of Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan that justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Shakeel Ahmad that it retired.
During the hearing, the lawyer for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan Bench said that the judges who were transferred to IHC did not want to engage advice to represent himself and agreed to accept what CB made after hearing the petitions.
At the last hearing, a lawyer for one of the petitioners, Munir A Malik, had stated that a message had been issued of a JCP meeting held on April 18 to appoint a permanent commander of justice at IHC.
CB noted that the court, given the meeting, had brought the case on Thursday (April 17). However, AGP informed the court that JCP met to appoint two more judges to CB before the Court.
“When we asked him if any date for the JCP meeting is set for appointment and/or confirmation of the Chief Justice of IHC, he categorically declared that no such meeting is planned.
“[He said] The announcement of the next JCP meeting issued to May 2, 2025 is only for appointment/confirmation of the most important judge in Peshawar and Balochistan High Courts. “
AGP also assumed that the entire item regarding the transfer of judges to IHC will be submitted to this court through a brief statement.
This statement will include the summary that has been moved by the Ministry of the Law to the Prime Minister for further advice to the President of Pakistan for further actions in the form of Article 200 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. CB resumes the case on April 22.
