Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Justice Sarfraz Dogar has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) following the elevation of his predecessor, Justice Aamer Farooq, to the Supreme Court.
The appointment was formalized through a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, stating that President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Justice Dogar under Article 196 of the Constitution. He will serve in this capacity until a permanent Chief Justice is appointed.
This development comes amid internal dissent within the IHC. Five IHC judges—Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Ejaz Ishaq Khan, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz—have expressed reservations regarding Justice Dogar’s appointment. They argue that Justice Dogar cannot be considered an IHC judge until he takes the oath as required under Article 194 of the Constitution. The judges have urged the IHC Chief Justice to address this issue before the upcoming Judicial Commission of Pakistan meeting.
Justice Dogar’s appointment follows the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s recent approval of six new judges to the Supreme Court, a decision that has been met with controversy, including a boycott by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers and two senior Supreme Court judges.
The situation highlights ongoing debates within Pakistan’s judiciary concerning judicial appointments, seniority, and procedural adherence.
