Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has been appointed the acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.
President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan accorded approval to Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. Simultaneously, the Law Ministry in Islamabad notified Sindh and Peshawar of judicial appointments and appointed six additional judges, including a female judge, to the Sindh High Court’s bench.
The newly appointed judges in Sindh include Justice Sana Akram Minhas, Justice Amjad Ali, Justice Jawad Akbar Sarwana, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Muhammad Abdul Rehman, and Justice Arbab Ali Hakro.
Former Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan of Peshawar High Court expressed concerns over the appointment practices at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. In a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, he outlined perceived discrimination and favouritism in these appointments.
Justice Khan pointed out that despite four vacancies, only Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan was appointed from Balochistan, the same province as CJP Isa, while more senior judges were overlooked.
He questioned why his candidacy was ignored, given his seniority and eligibility. He felt sidelined as the second most senior chief justice among high courts. Justice Khan, a member of the Judicial Commission and the Supreme Judicial Commission, expressed his disappointment at not being considered for elevation to the Supreme Court.
He stated that he would have accepted the decision if found unfit, but he believes the Chief Justice may feel pressured to fill the vacancies promptly given the substantial backlog of cases. Justice Khan suggested that personal connections might influence such decisions, as he found no logical reason for his exclusion from consideration for the Supreme Court.
