ISLAMABAD: Acting President Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday approved the transfer of three judges of the Islamabad High Court on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Law, “In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (1) of Article 200 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), the Ministry of Law is pleased to transfer: (i) Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, senior puisne Judge, Islamabad High Court from Islamabad High Court to Lahore High Court; (ii) Justice Babar Sattar, Judge, Islamabad High Court from Islamabad High Court to Peshawar High Court; and (iii) Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, Judge, Islamabad High Court from Islamabad High Court to High Court of Sindh.”
A day earlier, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) held a series of meetings to consider the transfer of high court judges, with deliberations conducted under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.
“The meetings were convened by the secretary of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan in exercise of powers conferred by clause (22) of Article 175A of the Constitution, as the Chairman of the Commission, while giving reason therefor, declined to convene the meeting on the requisition by one third of the total members,” it said.
The statement said that the JCP deliberated on various transfer proposals, with the chief justices of the concerned high courts participating as members of the commission. The transfer decisions were made in accordance with the powers granted by the Constitution and the JCP’s procedural rules.
Additionally, proposals for the transfers of Justice Arbab Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro were withdrawn by the members who had requisitioned them. The commission also decided, by a majority, that any vacancy created by a judge’s transfer would be filled through further transfers, rather than initial appointments.
The development marks the first instance of the 27th Amendment, approved in November last year by the Parliament, being applied directly to the high courts. This follows amendments to Article 200, which remove the requirement of obtaining a judge’s consent before transfer and empower the relocation of high court judges between provinces on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission.
The three judges who were transferred were also among the six Islamabad High Court judges who had written a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council, seeking guidance on how to counter alleged interference by intelligence agencies in their affairs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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