Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Babar Sattar wrote a detailed letter about “serious issues” in the court before a full court meeting led by Chief Justice Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar. The meeting, which marked the start of the new judicial year, focused on reviewing IHC’s work and setting future goals. A second meeting is planned for September 3, 2025, at 2 PM.
Justice Sattar’s letter criticised Chief Justice Dogar’s leadership. He pointed out problems such as a lack of transparency, weak independence of judges, and poor handling of lower courts.
Key Points from Justice Sattar’s Letter
- Protecting Rights: Sattar asked if the IHC is truly protecting citizens’ rights, which is a main job under Pakistan’s Constitution. He wondered if the public sees the court as a true defender of justice.
- Lower Court Oversight: He criticized how IHC watches over district courts. He said they are unstable and often use temporary judges. He called for building a strong, independent lower judiciary.
- Unfair Case Assignments: Sattar accused Dogar of making court schedules that leave out senior judges and favor newer or transferred judges. He wants clear, fair rules about who gets which cases.
- Judicial Independence: He said Dogar’s actions, like moving cases without permission or limiting judges’ work, harm the court’s independence.
- Committee Bias: Sattar noted Dogar made committees without including senior judges, against IHC rules. This hurts teamwork among judges.
- Overreaching Authority: He said Dogar goes too far by requiring judges to ask for permission to travel abroad. He warned against giving the chief justice too much power.
- Judge Performance: Sattar questioned reports that praise judges unfairly. He wants honest and open ways to check judges’ work.
Justice Sattar called the full court meeting a chance to fix problems that started under the previous chief justice. He hopes open talks will make IHC stronger. He warned that ignoring these issues could damage the court’s reputation. “It takes years to build strong institutions, but they can fall apart quickly,” he wrote.
Justice Sarfraz Dogar Assumes Role as Acting Chief Justice of IHC
Sattar said sorry if anyone was offended but stressed the need for honest talks to improve the court. He has raised similar concerns before about IHC rules and committees.
Recently, Dogar assigned Sattar and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan to a special group to clear 2,000 tax cases, while giving their other cases to different judges. The IHC is very important for justice in Pakistan. Sattar’s letter shows the need for fair actions and teamwork to keep public trust.
