ISLAMABAD: Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar has officially assumed the role of Chief Justice at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (Presidential Palace) in Islamabad, where President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to the new Chief Justice. The event saw a significant presence of senior legal professionals and dignitaries.
Among those in attendance were Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Prior to this, the Chief Justices of the Sindh and Peshawar High Courts also took their oaths of office.
The oath ceremonies for Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar of the Sindh High Court and Justice S.M. Atiq Shah of the Peshawar High Court were conducted by respective governors—Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi.
The appointments were approved earlier on July 1 during a Judicial Commission meeting headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. The commission recommended Justice Sarfraz Dogar’s appointment as Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, alongside Justice Junaid Ghaffar as Sindh High Court Chief Justice, Justice Atiq Shah as Peshawar High Court Chief Justice, and Justice Rozi Khan for the Balochistan High Court.
It is noteworthy that President Zardari officially recognized Justice Sarfraz Dogar as the senior-most judge of the IHC, issuing a formal notification on June 29 that confirmed his permanent transfer along with two other judges. This move came after the Supreme Court directed that the matter of judicial seniority be referred to the President.
According to the updated seniority list, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani holds the second position, followed by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb in third place. The notification also confirmed the permanent transfers of Justice Khadim Hussain Tunio and Justice Muhammad Asif, who now rank ninth and eleventh respectively among IHC judges.
It is also important to mention that recently five IHC judges filed an intra-court appeal challenging the Supreme Court’s June 19 verdict, which upheld the constitutionality of the transfers of three judges to the IHC and dismissed petitions filed by those judges
