ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday started functioning again, over 17 months after it was declared unlawful by Supreme Court as it was earlier established through a presidential ordinance under the provisional constitution order (PCO) of 2007.

Justice Iqbal Hammedur Rehman, the chief justice of the IHC, administered oath to Justice Anwar Kansi and Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan as judges of the court.

A large number of lawyers, judges of the superior courts and representatives of bar councils received the IHC chief when he arrived at the court premises. A contingent of Islamabad police presented guard of honour to Justice Rehman who later hoisted the flag of Pakistan in the building.

Justice Salahuddin Mirza of Federal Shariat Court, Justice Sagheer Ahmad Qadri and Justice Tariq Masood Khan of Lahore High Court, Attorney General of Pakistan Moulvi Anwarul Haq, Secretary Law Masood Chishti, Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association Qamaruz Zaman Qureshi, President Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi bench, Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi, President District Bar Association Malik Waheed Anjum and chief commissioner Islamabad were also present.

The high court in the federal capital was first established in February 2008 but was abolished in July 2009 after the apex court set aside the November 3 2007 emergency and the PCO.

The defunct IHC had heard and decided different important cases and the SC provided legal cover to the verdicts.

The parliament through the 18th constitutional amendment approved the establishment of the high court in Islamabad and passed the relevant rules and laws.

Over 5,000 cases have been transferred from Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court to the IHC.

Legal community in Islamabad had long been demanding establishment of a high court in the federal capital as due to its absence matters relating to the federal government were being challenged in the LHC.

There are certain issues that are still to be resolved regarding the new high court.

Important among them is the question regarding administrative control of the district judiciary in Islamabad.

Presently, the administration of the lower courts is controlled by the LHC chief justice and the command had not been shifted to the defunct IHC.

APP adds: Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Iqbal Hameedur Rehman sought comments from the secretary health on delay in regularisation of contractual doctors in the federal government hospitals.

Counsel for petitioner Kanwar Afzal Malik informed the court that contractual doctors in all the four provinces had been regularised. However, the doctors working on contract in federal government hospitals are still waiting to be regularised.

The chief justice while resuming the hearing of the plea directed the secretary Ministry of Health to submit comments on the issue.