Islamabad High Court Bar to withdraw petition against judges' transfer

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has decided to withdraw its petition filed in the Supreme Court challenging the transfer of judges from other high courts to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

IHCBA President Wajid Gillani and Secretary Manzoor Jajja have issued an authority letter formalising the decision.

The petition was originally filed in February by the outgoing IHCBA president, Riasat Ali Azad, against the appointment of judges from other high courts to the IHC.

However, the current bar leadership has reportedly found no formal record authorizing the previous cabinet to file the petition on behalf of the association.

Earlier, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had issued notices to IHC Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and two other judges during a prior hearing. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for tomorrow, April 17.

Read More: IHC Bar challenges judges seniority list in Supreme Court

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court Bar moved the Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging the judges’ seniority list, ARY News reported on Saturday.

President IHC Bar Riasat Ali Azad has filed the petition under Article 184(3). “The President is not enjoying unlimited powers to transfer judges’ under Article 200 clause (i),” according to the petition.

Petitioner has also argued that the judges could not be transferred from one high court to other without public interest.

The Lahore Bar Association also filed a petition in Supreme Court, challenging the transfer of judges in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

As per details, the association has requested the court to declare the notification of judges’ transfer as null and void.

The Lahore Bar Association urged to nullify Justice Aamir Farooq’s verdict on the representation of judges and the appointment of the Acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court.

The association has also asked the court to reissue the seniority list of the Islamabad High Court and to bar the transferred judges from working until they take oath.

Furthermore, the Lahore Bar Association has requested that the seniority of the transferred judges be counted from the date they take oath.