Justice Sarfraz Dogar has assumed the role of acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) following his predecessor’s promotion to the Supreme Court.
The Law Ministry announced late Wednesday that President Asif Ali Zardari, acting under Article 196 of the Constitution, officially appointed Justice Dogar. His appointment is effective from the day he swears in and continues until a permanent Chief Justice is appointed.
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) recent decision to endorse six new justices for the Supreme Court, despite absences from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) representatives and two senior Supreme Court judges during the vote.
At a session chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the JCP confirmed the elevation of justices from all high courts except the Lahore High Court. The nominees include Justices Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Salahuddin Panhwar, Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Shakeel Ahmad, and Aamer Farooq.
Read: Justice Sarfraz Dogar Appointed as Senior Puisne Judge of IHC
Additionally, the JCP nominated Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the IHC as the Acting Judge of the Supreme Court. This series of judicial appointments and transfers has sparked considerable debate within the legal community, particularly concerning the seniority and placement of transferred justices.
Before his new role, Justice Dogar was designated by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq as the administrative judge for both anti-terrorism and accountability courts, succeeding Justice Kayani.
A controversy arose regarding the seniority of judges transferred from other high courts, with some justices advocating for a re-oath to reset their seniority. However, this proposal was declined by Chief Justice Farooq, who clarified that their seniority remains tied to their original oath dates in their respective high courts rather than the date of transfer to the IHC.
