ISLAMABAD:
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Tuesday held four sessions, chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, and approved the appointments of permanent chief justices of four high courts, Sindh, Balochistan, Peshawar and Islamabad.
The approval was given with majority votes. The new chief justices are Justice Rozi Khan Barrech for Balochistan High Court (BHC); Justice Sarfaraz Dogar for Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Attique Shah for Peshawar High Court (PHC) and Justice Junaid Ghaffar for Sindh High Court.
“Today, on 1st July 2025, four meetings of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan were held in the Conference Room of the Supreme Court Building at Islamabad,” said a press release issued by the Supreme Court.
The first meeting considered the appointment of the chief justice of the PHC. “In the meeting, the Commission, by a majority of its total membership, has nominated Mr. Justice S.M. Attique Shah, Acting Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court,” the release said.
The second JCP meeting convened half an hour later to consider the appointment of the BHC chief justice. “The Commission, by a majority of its total membership, has nominated Mr. Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Balochistan, as Chief Justice of the High Court.”
The third meeting considered the appointment of the SHC chief justice “In the meeting, the Commission, by consensus, has nominated Mr. Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Sindh, as Chief Justice of the High Court of Sindh,” the press release stated.
The last meeting pertained to the appointment of the chief justice of the IHC. “The Commission, by a majority of its total membership, has nominated Mr. Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Acting Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, as Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court,” said the release.
According to sources, Justice Dogar got nine votes. They said that four members, Chief Justice Afridi, PTI members Senator Ali Zafar and Barrister Gohar and Islamabad Bar Council representative Zulfiqar Abbasi voted for appointing Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb as the IHC chief justice.
in the meeting Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail did not vote in favour of any judge, while Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar voted in favour of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.
Justice Aminuddin Khan, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Pakistan Bar Council representative Ahsan Bhawan, Senator Farooq H Naek, National Assembly Member Sheikh Aftab, Roshan Barocha, Rana Tanveer and Justice (retd) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui voted in favour of Justice Dogar.
According to sources, an objection was also raised to postpone the session pertaining to the (IHC) chief justice until the final decision on the judges’ transfer intra-court appeal, but this remained a minority opinion.
