The Islamabad High Court’s acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar was given the oath by President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday, a decision which judges and opposition parties have criticized.
Last month, Dogar made news as he was moved from Lahore High Court to Islamabad High Court. Dogar was ranked 13th on the seniority list but was promoted to second in line for the IHC spot, and several judges, attorneys, and political opposition slammed the decision.
After Chief Justice Aamer Farooq was elevated to the Supreme Court, he was supposed to take over the top rank. Five other IHC judges, however, objected his advancement and questioned his seniority.
Notwithstanding these protests, Dogar swore in at a event conducted at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Pakistan president’s official house. Justice Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar has been Acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court effective starting from the day of his swearing in until the appointment of a regular chief justice, according to an official announcement from the President of Pakistan.
The appointment was done according to Article 196 of the Constitution. Among fellow justices who saw it as a violation of the seniority criteria for judges, Dogar’s elevation was contested by Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, and Saman Rafat.
Opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also voiced their objections, fearing that Dogar’s appointment could influence the outcomes of cases involving PTI leaders, including jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
“The appointment of Justice Sarfraz Dogar may impact the hearing of cases of PTI leaders,” PTI Senator Ali Zafar commented in the Senate. Meanwhile, Justice Aamer Farooq, along with six other judges, was elevated to the Supreme Court at a separate ceremony, where Chief Justice Yahya Afridi administered the oath.
