ISLAMABAD: Three additional district and sessions judges (ADSJs) of Islamabad’s judiciary have been promoted to the post of district and sessions judge (DSJ).

They are ADSJs Sikandar Khan, Mohammad Adnan and Dr Abida Sajjad.

According to a notification issued by the registrar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Sardar Tahir Sabir, “In exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 13 (6) of the Islamabad Judicial Service Rules, 2011, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of this Court, on recommendation of the Departmental Promotion Committee made under Rule 13 (5) of the Rules ibid, has been pleased to promote and appoint the above mentioned ADSJs in BS-20 as DSJs in BS-21”.

As per the notification, the newly-promoted judges will undergo a one-year probation period as per Rule 20 (2) of the Islamabad Judicial Service Rules, 2011.

Departmental Promotion Committee of the IHC comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb considered eight ADSJs for the available three DSJ positions.They were Sikandar Khan, Mohammad Adnan, Abida Sajjad, Zeba Chaudhry, Raja Asif Mehmood, Syed Faizan Haider Gillani, Abdul Ghafoor, Mohammad Sohail and Jehangir Awan.

The DPC also considered five senior civil judges namely Amir Aziz Khan, Nasrumminallah, Mohammad Shabbir Bhatti, Qudratullah and Mujahid Rahim for upward promotion as the ADSJ. The promotion of these senior civil judges is yet to be notified.

Sources revealed that the DPC is likely to consider the promotion of the civil judges next week.

It may be noted that the promotions of scores of ADSJs, SCJs and civil judges have been stalled for years. Securing a promotion in the capital’s subordinate judiciary is an uphill task, as at least four judges have resigned due to lack of career prospects in recent years.

Inamullah Khan, Mohammad Abbas Shah and Ihtisham Alam Swati, civil judges inducted into the judicial service in 2006 in BS-17, said they were in the same grade even after 17 years of service.

There are other civil judges who have completed over a decade in the judicial service but have not been promoted to the next grade. They include Mubashir Chishti, Omar Shabbir, Shoaib Akhtar, Malik Aman Shehzad Khan, Sohaib Bilal Ranjha, Sanam Bukhari, Ambreen Chaudhry and Rafat Mehmood.

Previously, a handful of judicial officers were promoted but judges complained of their association to certain chambers of lawyers during practice. Approximately two dozen judges of the Islamabad judiciary filed representations against their adverse performance evaluation reports before the IHC chief justice, while some have challenged their supersession before the service tribunal.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2024