PESHAWAR: Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan took oath as chief justice of the Peshawar High Court at the Governor’s House here on Friday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali administered oath to Justice Ibrahim Khan at a simple ceremony which was attended by the chief minister, judges of the high court, lawyers, caretaker ministers, government officials and others.

The president approved the appointment on Aug 22 on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission for appointment of judges under Article 175-A(13) of the Constitution. Justice Ibrahim Khan has already been serving as acting chief justice since July 6, 2023.

The post of PHC chief justice fell vacant with the elevation of then chief justice Musarrat Hilali to the Supreme Court.

Prominent among the participants of the ceremony were KP Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan, Supreme Court judge Justice Musarrat Hilali, former chief justices Justice Qaiser Rashid and Roohul Amin Khan, KP Advocate General Aamir Javed, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhter Hayat Khan, DIG Mohammad Ali Babakhel and others.

Born in Swabi on Apr 15, 1962, Justice Ibrahim Khan’s retirement is due on Apr 14, 2024.

During his judicial career he enjoyed good reputation among the legal circles as he was known for deciding cases without any fear or favour.

Justice Ibrahim Khan was elevated to the high court as additional judge on Aug 11, 2016, and subsequently he was confirmed as a judge of the high court on June 1, 2018.

Justice Ibrahim Khan had done his LLB from Khyber Law College, University of Peshawar, in May 1984 with distinction. After practicing law for almost eight years, he joined the judicial service and was appointed as additional district and sessions judge on Nov 1, 1993.

He has served against different key judicial posts including judge of anti-terrorism court in Peshawar and Abbottabad, presiding officer of labour court at Haripur, administrative judge of the accountability courts from 2013 to 2016, chairman of the KP Bar Council Tribunal apart from serving as district and sessions judge in different districts.

Justice Ibrahim also remained the Chairman of the KP Subordinate Judiciary Services Tribunal from Dec 2022 till Feb 2023 and was also the chairman of the KP Bar Council’s enrollment committee. He also performed as administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in the province.

One of the most important jobs of his judicial career is conducting the judicial inquiry into the 2014 carnage of the Peshawar Army Public School and College wherein 147 persons including 132 students were killed.

The said the commission had conducted extensive probe and examined 102 aggrieved people, mostly parents of the martyred students besides recording the statements of government functionaries of all ranks from the armed forces, bureaucracy and police.

The commission had submitted its detailed report of 525 pages to the Supreme Court chief justice.

Justice Ibrahim also served as lecturer in International Islamic University, Islamabad, and Khyber Law College, University of Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2023