ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench took up petitions challenging the recent transfer of three judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), issuing notices to IHC’s acting chief justice and the judges concerned.
The five-member bench, led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Shahid Bilal, Salahuddin Panhwar, and Shakeel Ahmed, heard the case.
The petitions were submitted by five IHC judges, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and the Karachi Bar Association.
Notices were served to Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Khadim Hussain, and Justice Muhammad Asif, along with the registrars of the respective high courts and the attorney general.
Justice Mazhar remarked that the transfers were carried out constitutionally, based on the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s recommendations.
The issue stemmed from a law ministry notification dated February 1, ordering the transfer of Justice Sarfraz Dogar (Lahore High Court), Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro (Sindh High Court), and Justice Muhammad Asif (Balochistan High Court) to the IHC.
In response, IHC Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz filed petitions, arguing that under the Constitution, transferred judges must retake their oath and their seniority should remain unaffected.
