LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday withdrew the transfer order of a district & sessions judge (D&SJ), the presiding judge of an anti-terrorism court in the provincial capital, holding jail trials of various cases of May 9 riots.

LHC Registrar Amjad Iqbal Ranjha issued a notification on Jan 6 regarding the transfer of two sessions judges including Arshad Javed, the judge of the ATC-III, Lahore.

D&SJ Javed was transferred from Lahore and repatriated to Bahawalnagar to replace D&SJ Asif Bashir, who was transferred from Bahawalnagar to Lahore as OSD at the Lahore sessions court against a newly-created post.

Both judicial officers were directed to assume their new charge on or before Jan 9.

However, on Wednesday, the registrar issued another notification withdrawing the transfer of both sessions judges with immediate effect.

D&SJ Arshad Javed was posted at ATC-III in September 2023.

During the last year, the judge handed down sentences to PTI leaders and workers in multiple cases of May 9 riots. At present, he is seized with the jail trials of many other such cases, which were near conclusion.

Through another notification issued on Wednesday, four D&SJs were transferred and posted including Ali Nawaz from OSD at Lahore to Layyah, Naeem Sheikh from Special Court (Central-I) Gujranwala to Chiniot, Shahida Saeed from Chiniot to Lahore as OSD at sessions court and Jazeela Aslam from Layyah to Lahore as OSD at sessions court.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2026