Govt Notifies Transfer of Three IHC Judges to Other High Courts

ISLAMABAD: In line with the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) decision, the Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday notified the transfer of three judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to other high courts under Article 200 of the Constitution.

According to a notification issued by law ministry, the President of Pakistan approved the transfers on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).

The development comes a day after the JCP approved the transfer of three judges from the IHC to other courts in a move that drew sharp criticism from lawyers’ bodies for lacking transparency and uniform criteria.

A notification issued by the ministry stated that the president, on the recommendation of the JCP, had approved the transfer of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani to the Lahore High Court; Justice Babar Sattar to the Peshawar High Court; and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz to the Sindh High Court.

A separate summary moved to the Prime Minister’s Office, dated April 29, also confirmed that the JCP, in its meeting held on April 28, had recommended the transfers by a majority of its total membership.

Under clause (1) of Article 200 of the Constitution, the president may transfer a high court judge from one high court to another on the recommendation of the JCP. Clause (2) provides that the seniority of a transferred judge shall be reckoned from the date of his or her initial appointment.