Judicial Commission approves transfer of three Islamabad High Court judges

ISLAMABAD, Apr 28 (APP):The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Tuesday approved with majority, the transfer of three judges of the Islamabad High Court to other high courts under Article 200 of the Constitution.

The meeting of the Commission was held at the Supreme Court of Pakistan and chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan in his capacity as chairman of the commission.

The sessions were convened by the Secretary of the JCP under Article 175A(22) after the chairman declined, citing reasons, to convene a meeting on a requisition by one-third of the commission’s members.

In accordance with constitutional provisions, the respective chief justices of the concerned high courts participated in the proceedings as members of the commission while considering each proposed transfer.

According to the decisions taken, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani will be transferred from the Islamabad High Court to the Lahore High Court, Justice Babar Sattar to the Peshawar High Court, and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to the Sindh High Court. All three transfers were approved by majority vote.

The commission noted that proposals for the transfer of Justice Arbab M. Tahir to the Balochistan High Court and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro to the Sindh High Court were withdrawn by the members who had earlier requisitioned the meetings.

The JCP also decided, by majority of its total membership, that any vacancy arising as a result of the transfer of a judge from one high court to another would be filled through transfer only, and would not be treated as a vacancy for fresh appointment.

The meeting reflects ongoing efforts to manage judicial resources and address institutional requirements across the country’s high courts.