ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has once again reshuffled its powerful administrative committee, removing Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir and inducting Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas in his place, according to a notification issued by the registrar office.

The notification, issued with the approval of Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfaraz Dogar, said the CJ will continue to head the four-member committee. Justice Mohammad Asif and Justice Mohammad Azam Khan will remain members of the body, which exercises wide-ranging authority over the administrative affairs of the high court.

The latest reshuffle comes amid continuing changes to the IHC’s administrative structure, which has undergone multiple reorganisations since early 2025 following Justice Dogar’s appointment as the acting chief justice and the subsequent transfer of judges from other high courts.

It may be mentioned that the IHC chief justice in April this year requisitioned the meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan for transfer of the IHC judges. As per the initial proposal, the chief justice was seeking transfer of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir, Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro. However, the transfer of Justice Tahir and Justice Soomro was dropped.

Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir removed, replaced with Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas, says notification

The latest move follows a series of administrative changes that have significantly reshaped the court’s internal power structure.

In February 2025, senior puisne judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani was stripped of key administrative responsibilities after amendments to the Islamabad High Court Rules. The amendments empowered the CJ to nominate members of the administrative committee and assign their responsibilities, powers that had previously been linked to the office of the senior puisne judge.

As a result of the amendments, Justice Kayani ceased to serve on the committee and the Departmental Promotion Committee, besides losing his role as Inspection Judge of the subordinate judiciary.

The replacement of Justice Tahir with Justice Minhas follows another reshuffle in February 2026, when Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro was removed from the committee and replaced by Justice Mihammad Asif. At the time, legal observers viewed the change as a precursor to the subsequent transfer of judges to and from the IHC.

Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir, who has now been removed from the committee, had earlier figured in a controversy over the premature uploading of a judgement on the court’s website. In its detailed judgement issued on March 17, 2026, the Federal Constitutional Court described the circulation or uploading of incomplete or unannounced judgements as “grave judicial misconduct” and an “offence” that could undermine the integrity of the judicial process.

Justice Tahir was also among the six IHC judges who wrote to the Supreme Judicial Council, alleging that the then chief justice had failed to address complaints of interference in judicial affairs. The judges also accused intelligence agencies of interfering in the functioning of the superior judiciary.

Following the latest notification, the administrative committee now comprises Chief Justice Dogar, Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas, Justice Mohammad Asif and Justice Mohammad Azam Khan.

The committee is vested with wide administrative powers, including allocation of cases, judicial postings and transfers, and oversight of the overall administration of the IHC.

The registrar office said the reconstitution of the committee had been made with the approval of the chief justice and had taken effect immediately.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2026