ISLAMABAD: A day after the four former presidents of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) opposed the transfer of judges from other high courts, the incumbent supported the move, calling for a system to regulate the transfers.

At a press conference on Friday, IHCBA President Syed Wajid Ali Shah Gilani said the rotation of judges among provinces had been a “longstanding demand” of the legal fraternity.

He claimed sitting IHC judges also demanded the same for the district judiciary before their elevation.

Mr Gillani’s remarks came at a time when the Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by five sitting IHC judges against the transfer of their colleagues from other high courts.

In February, Justices Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, Kha­dim Hussain Soomro and Muh­am­mad Asif were transferred to IHC from the Lahore, Sindh and Balochistan high courts.

Defends decision to withdraw petition from SC

The transfer created a controversy over judges’ seniority as Justice Dogar was made IHC’s senior puisne judge, paving the way for his appointment as the acting IHC CJ after Justice Aamer Farooq’s elevation to the Supreme Court.

Mr Gilani also defended the withdrawal of a petition against the revised seniority list of judges from the Supreme Court, citing procedural lapses and concerns over its timing ahead of the bar elections. The IHCBA earlier withdrew the petition filed by Mr Gilani’s predecessor, Riasat Ali Azad, saying he dragged the bar association into the controversy without the authorisation of the bar’s executive body.

Mr Gilani clarified the petition was filed without proper approval and lacked supporting documentation, including a formal copy of the resolution and the petition itself.

“I personally believed the petition should proceed, but the majority opinion was in favour of withdrawal,” he said while referring to the consensus among bar members. “We respected their democratic decision.” He dismissed allegations of ulterior motives, stating there was “no malice behind the withdrawal.”

Judge’s behaviour

He expressed dissatisfaction with the behaviour of some judges and hinted at the possibility of filing references against them. “There are complaints against several judges, and the bar will not stay silent if such behaviour continues,” he added.

He called for systemic reforms, including the rotation of judges in the district judiciary and mechanisms for high court judges’ accountability.

IHCBA Secretary Manzoor Jajja reaffirmed the demand for judges’ rotation and said the association would respect the Supreme Court’s decision.

Indian aggression

Separately, the IHCBA also condemned India’s propaganda campaign against Pakistan and the threat to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty unilaterally.

In an official statement, the association said India’s actions were a “well-thought-out conspiracy” and warned against undermining regional stability. It urged the government to engage international institutions and Islamic countries to highlight the issue on the global stage.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2025