IHC announces case schedules for newly appointed judges

ISLAMABAD: Despite the ongoing opposition, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has released the case schedules for its two newly appointed judges, Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif.

Justice Dogar has been assigned three cases for today, while Justice Asif will be catering to two cases. The posting of the schedules marks the official start of their judicial duties at the high court.

Three judges from the Sindh High Court (SHC), Lahore High Court (LHC) and Balochistan High Court (BHC) were recently transferred to the IHC. The Ministry of Law issued the notification of their transfer to the IHC. LHC’s Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, SHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, and BHC’s Justice Muhammad Asif have been appointed to the IHC.

The courtrooms have been set up and nameplates have also been installed. The case lists for two of the judges have also been posted outside their respective courtrooms. During the proceedings, Deputy Attorney General Abdul Khaliq Thand welcomed Justice Dogar while Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dogar also extended his greetings. The commencement of these duties highlighted the IHC’s readiness to integrate its new judges.

The Islamabad Bar Council, IHC Bar Association and the District Bar Association will be observing a strike today. The lawyer groups are protesting against the transfer of three judges from High Courts of other provinces to the IHC.

Addressing a joint press conference on Sunday, office-bearers of the three groups had said that the recent transfers of judges from the Lahore High Court (LHC), Sindh High Court (SHC) and the Balochistan High Court (BHC) to the IHC is aimed at dividing the judiciary. They said that these transfers are based on mala fide intentions, and that the lawyers in the capital will strongly oppose it.

Earlier on Saturday, the IHC judges wrote a letter to the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi, urging them not bring judges from other high courts nor they be appointed as the IHC chief justice. According to sources, several judges, including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, had signed the letter.