LAHORE: Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh resigned as a judge on Thursday, saying he wanted to pursue legal scholarship, policy research and comparative judicial practice.

He sent his resignation letter, dated Sept 3, to President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 206 of the Constitution.

In the letter, seen by Dawn, Justice Sheikh said his years on the bench had been the most formative and fulfilling period of his professional life.

He wrote that after “deep and sustained reflection”, he had concluded that his further growth as a jurist — and his ability to contribute to the rule of law and access to justice — would be better served by turning to legal scholarship, policy research and comparative judicial practice.

Justice Sheikh thanked his senior colleagues on the bench for their guidance and his staff for their support, saying he was leaving with an “enduring commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law”.

A copy of the resignation was also sent to the LHC registrar.

Justice Sheikh, a graduate of the London School of Economics and a barrister of the Middle Temple, has been serving as an LHC judge since May 2021.

Before his elevation to the bench, he was an elected member of the Pakistan Bar Council for a period of five years (2016-2020) and also chaired its Human Rights Committee. His legal practice covered public law, commercial law, taxation and human rights.

He is the son of senior lawyer Akram Sheikh, a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

He was due to reach his superannuation on Jan 30, 2036.