ISLAMABAD: The chief justices of four high courts took their oath of office on Tuesday, at separate ceremonies in Islamabad and the provincial capitals.

Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar was sworn in as the top judge of the Islamabad High Court by President Asif Ali Zardari.

The oath-taking ceremony, held at Aiwan-i-Sadr, was attended by judges of the high court, Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, ministers, parliamentarians, representatives and members of lawyers’ bodies and legal fraternity, law officers, lawyers and media persons.

Justice Dogar had previously been the acting IHC chief justice, but following a Supreme Court direction to the president to ascertain judges’ seniority, he was designated by President Zardari as the senior-most judge through a recent notification.

The development followed a June 19 Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the constitutionality of transferring three judges — including Justice Dogar — from other provincial high courts.

SHC CJ Ghaffar

In Karachi, Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar took the oath as the chief justice of Sindh High Court.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori administered the oath at a ceremony held on the premises of Governor House.

Justice Ghaffar, too, was already serving as acting SHC chief justice since Feb 14. He became the senior-most judge of SHC after then-chief justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui and senior puisne judge Justice Salahuddin Panhwar were elevated to the Supreme Court in February.

After being sworn in, Justice Ghaffar visited the Quaid’s Mausoleum. Speaking to reporters at the occasion, he said that the process to induct civil judges was underway and likely to be completed soon.

Replying to another question regarding the jurisdiction disputes of constitutional and regular benches at the SHC, he stated that such categorisation of benches has been made for the first time through a constitutional amendment.

PHC CJ Shah

Meanwhile, Justice Syed Mohammad Attique Shah was sworn in as the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.

The ceremony, held at the Governor’s House, saw Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gov­ernor Faisal Karim Kundi administer the oath to the new CJ. They were flanked by KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, who has been at odds with the governor in recent days over rumours of efforts to secure a ‘regime change’ in the province.

Federal minister Amir Muqam, leader of the opposition in KP Assembly Dr Ibadullah, chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Ahmed, along with senior lawyers and others, also attended the ceremony.

Belonging to a prominent family of Charsadda district, Justice Attqiue Shah was born in 1968. His father Syed Mohammad Shah Bacha was also a senior lawyer.

After the ceremony the governor held a separate meeting with the newly sworn-in Chief Justice and other senior judges of the Peshawar High Court.

During the meeting, the Governor discussed matters related to the overall law and order situation in the province.

BHC CJ Barrech

Justice Rozi Khan Barech, who had been serving as acting chief justice for the last month, was sworn in as the Balochistan High Court CJ on Tuesday.

Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail administered the oath in a ceremony held at the Governor’s House.

Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Supreme Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, provincial ministers, members of the Balochistan Assembly, judges of the Balochistan High Court, and a number of senior lawyers were also present on the occasion.

Waseem Ahmad Shah in Peshawar, Saleem Shahid in Quetta, Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad and Ishaq Tanoli in Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025