The Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has decided to withdraw its petition from the Supreme Court that had challenged the transfer of judges from other high courts to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
This decision was formalized through an authority letter issued by IHCBA President Wajid Gillani and Secretary Manzoor Jajja.
The petition, initially filed in February by the outgoing IHCBA president Riasat Ali Azad, objected to the appointment of judges from outside the IHC. However, the current bar leadership reportedly found no official record granting the previous cabinet the authority to file the petition on behalf of the association.
Previously, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had issued notices to IHC Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and two other judges as part of the case proceedings. The next hearing is scheduled for April 17.
In a related matter, the IHCBA had earlier approached the Supreme Court to challenge the seniority list of judges, asserting that the President of Pakistan does not hold unchecked authority to transfer judges under Article 200(1) of the Constitution. The petition contended that such transfers must serve the public interest.
Separately, the Lahore Bar Association also filed a petition challenging the transfer of judges to the IHC. Their petition requested the court to declare the transfer notifications void and urged the nullification of Justice Aamir Farooq’s verdict concerning judicial representation and the appointment of the IHC Acting Chief Justice.
Additionally, the Lahore Bar Association demanded a revised seniority list for IHC judges and called for transferred judges to be restricted from performing duties until they formally take oath. They also requested that the judges’ seniority be calculated from the date of oath-taking.
