ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, previously the senior puisne judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) before Justice Sarfaraz Dogar’s transfer, has been removed from the top decision-making committee.
According to a notification, the IHC administration has reconstituted the Administrative and Departmental Promotion Committee. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remains the chairman, with Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro inducted as members. Previously, Justice Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb were part of this committee.
Additionally, the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) has been reshuffled, now consisting of Justice Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Azam Khan, replacing Justice Kayani and Justice Aurangzeb. The changes were formalized through a notification issued by Additional Registrar Ijaz Ahmed following Chief Justice Farooq’s approval.
The IHC administration has also formally designated Justice Dogar as the senior puisne judge of the Islamabad High Court. The revised seniority list, approved by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and issued by the registrar’s office, is as follows:
- Justice Sarfaraz Dogar
- Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani
- Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb
- Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri
- Justice Babar Sattar
- Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan
- Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir
- Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz
- Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro
- Justice Mohammad Azam Khan
- Justice Mohammad Asif
- Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas
On February 1, the president issued a notification transferring Justices Dogar, Soomro, and Asif to the Islamabad High Court from the Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court, and Balochistan High Court, respectively.
The transfer has sparked mixed reactions within the legal community. Some lawyers’ bodies in Islamabad opposed the move and staged a strike on Monday in protest. However, other legal factions, law officers from the attorney general’s office, and prosecutors welcomed the new judges, presenting them with bouquets.
Earlier, on January 31, five IHC judges opposed Justice Dogar’s transfer in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and the chief justices of the IHC, LHC, and SHC. The judges expressed concerns that Justice Dogar’s transfer was intended to position him for future elevation as the IHC chief justice.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, currently the most senior high court chief justice, is expected to be elevated to the Supreme Court. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan is scheduled to meet on February 10 to consider high court judges for eight vacancies in the apex court.
