Justice Babar Sattar asked to vacate official Islamabad residence after transfer to PHC

ISLAMABAD: Justice Babar Sattar’s official residence in Islamabad was cancelled after his transfer from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to the Peshawar High Court (PHC), according to a notice issued by the IHC registrar.

The notice stated that Justice Sattar’s official accommodation in Islamabad was cancelled by the Estate Office on July 3. He has been given 30 days to vacate the residence, with the notice period starting from the date the house was cancelled.

According to the text of the notice, Justice Sattar’s transfer from the Islamabad High Court to the Peshawar High Court had already taken place, after which the Estate Office cancelled his government residence in Islamabad.

Court sources said that after his transfer, Justice Sattar did not take official accommodation in Peshawar and instead decided to retain the Islamabad residence, ading that a judge is allowed to keep only one official residence.

Sources also said security officials visited Justice Sattar’s Islamabad residence today but later left. Justice Sattar was reportedly on court vacations at the time and was not present at the residence.

Formerly a judge of the IHC, Justice Sattar was transferred to the PHC in April 2026 as part of a wider reshuffle of IHC judges. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan approved the transfer of three judges from the IHC, including Justice Sattar to the PHC, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani to the LHC and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to the SHC. The transfers were later notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice under Article 200 of the Constitution, which deals with the transfer of judges between high courts.

Justice Sattar had earlier drawn public attention as one of six IHC judges who wrote to the Supreme Judicial Council in March 2024, alleging interference in judicial affairs by intelligence agencies. The matter became a major point of debate around judicial independence.