Law Ministry Issues Notification for IHC Judges' Transfers Following President’s Approval

ISLAMABAD: Acting President Yusuf Raza Gilani has approved the transfer of three Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges to various provincial high courts across the country, ARY News reported.

Following the Acting President’s approval, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued a formal notification regarding the transfers.

According to the notification:

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has been transferred to the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Justice Babar Sattar has been transferred to the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz has been transferred to the Sindh High Court (SHC).

Earlier yesterday, the Judicial Commission had approved the transfer of Islamabad High Court judges, including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Babar Sattar, to other high courts, according to an official statement.

Under the decision, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has been transferred to the Lahore High Court. Following the move, he will rank 12th in seniority among LHC judges, despite being the senior-most judge at the Islamabad High Court prior to his transfer.

Justice Babar Sattar has been transferred to the Peshawar High Court, where he will take the sixth position in the seniority list. He was previously ranked third in seniority at the Islamabad High Court.

Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz has been moved to the Sindh High Court and will stand 16th in the seniority hierarchy. She was sixth on the seniority list at the Islamabad High Court before the transfer.

The commission also withdrew certain proposed transfers. The recommendation to transfer Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir to the Balochistan High Court has been revoked, while the proposal to move Justice Khadim Hussain to the Sindh High Court has also been withdrawn.

The statement further clarified that vacancies created through these transfers will not be treated as fresh appointments. Instead, such positions will be filled through subsequent transfers in line with established policy.

The reshuffle is expected to impact seniority structures across multiple high courts and reflects an administrative move aimed at redistributing judicial capacity nationwide.