The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s constitutional bench has dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar as the acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The petition, filed by five sitting IHC judges, contended that the transfer of Justice Dogar from the Lahore High Court and his subsequent elevation disrupted the established seniority within the IHC. The bench, led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, declined to issue an interim order against Justice Dogar’s appointment but has scheduled the next hearing for April 17, 2025, to further deliberate on the matter.
The controversy centers on the transfers of three judges—Justice Dogar from the Lahore High Court, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro from the Sindh High Court, and Justice Muhammad Asif from the Balochistan High Court—to the IHC. The petitioners argue that these transfers, executed under Article 200 of the Constitution, have adversely affected the seniority of existing IHC judges. They assert that such transfers should be temporary and require the consent of the judges involved, as well as the chief justices of the respective high courts and the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The Supreme Court has issued notices to the transferred judges, the registrars of the involved high courts, and the Attorney General for Pakistan, seeking their responses. The court aims to resolve the issue before the Judicial Commission of Pakistan convenes on April 18, 2025, to confirm appointments of acting chief justices across various high courts.
