 has released its duty roster for the week, adding three new judges who have been transferred from other high courts.){kind=link}
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has released its duty roster for the week, adding three new judges who have been transferred from other high courts. The IHC now has thirteen judges, increasing the total to thirteen single benches and six division benches. The court has also issued a new seniority list of judges.
Justice Sarfraz Dogar has been assigned to reserve bench number two for puisne judges. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who previously was for bench two, will now lead bench three. In the list of single benches, Justice Sarfraz Dogar is ranked second, followed by Justice Mohsin in third place.
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Barrister Jahangir Jadoon stated that Justice Sarfraz Dogar has replaced Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani as a senior puisne judge. However, he suggested this might only be temporary. If Chief Justice Aamer Farooq is promoted to the Supreme Court, Justice Sarfraz Dogar could become the next chief justice of the IHC. Justice Mohsin would regain his previous status as a senior puisne judge.
Ongoing Controversy
The transfer of the three judges has sparked controversy, with Islamabad’s major bar councils strongly opposing the move. The Islamabad Bar Council (IBC), the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) and the Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) have unanimously rejected the transfers. Lawyers have announced a strike and are boycotting court proceedings. They passed a resolution demanding that the notification of these transfers be withdrawn and urged a meeting on February 10.
Amid the ongoing protests, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik rejected claims that the government was interfering in judicial matters. He insisted that the government was committed to judicial reforms and that the recent transfers were not intended to influence the courts. He criticised political opponents for misrepresenting the situation and said the judicial reforms package aimed to improve the system.
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