ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the permanent appointment of chief justices for all four provincial high courts, with the Ministry of Law and Justice issuing formal notifications.
According to the notification, Justice Sarfraz Dogar has been appointed as the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court. Justice Junaid Ghaffar has been named as the chief justice of the Sindh High Court.
In Balochistan, Justice Rozi Khan Bareech has been appointed as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court, while Justice Atiq Shah has been notified as the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.
The development came a week after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) nominated permanent chief justices for four high courts.
In February, five IHC judges had moved the apex court against the appointment of Justice Dogar as the acting chief justice of IHC, as well as the transfer of three high court judges to their court.
The plea was filed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan and Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz.
However, the top court, on June 19, dismissed pleas filed against the transfer of judges and ruled that Justice Dogar could continue to work as IHC’s acting chief justice.
Later on, President Asif Ali Zardari formally declared Justice Dogar the “senior-most judge” of the IHC, following the issuance of a revised seniority list by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
It is pertinent to know that the five IHC judges filed an intra-court appeal (ICA) against the SC’s June 19 verdict.
In their plea, the judges urged that the Constitutional Bench’s order should be “recalled and set aside […] in the interest of justice”.
“During the pendency of the instant appeal, this Hon’ble Court may graciously grant interim relief as prayed for in the accompanying interim relief application. Any other relief that this Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper may also be granted,” the petition stated.
