ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Bar Council has announced that lawyers would not appear in courts in Islamabad on Monday to protest the transfer of three judges from other provinces to the Islamabad High Court.
Islamabad Bar, High Court Bar, and District Bar Association jointly held a press conference to announce the boycott.
Vice Chairman of the Islamabad Bar Council Aleem Abbasi said that they will hold a lawyers’ convention in Islamabad on Monday.
He said the Islamabad High Court Bar and District Bar rejected the judges’ appointment. He added that lawyers will hold a historic convention to decide the next line of action.
Abbasi called the transfers “malicious” and an attack on the independence of the judiciary. He urged all bar councils in Pakistan to boycott court proceedings.
He also invited them to attend the convention in Islamabad. Lawyers claimed the Judicial Council meeting was called with bad intentions. They also called the 26th Constitutional Amendment a “black law” that distorts the Constitution.
The joint statement condemned the appointment of judges from other provinces. It declared the decision a violation of judicial independence. Lawyers demanded the transferred judges be sent back to their respective courts.
They also urged the Supreme Court to hold a full-court hearing on petitions against the 26th Amendment.
Moreover, they asked for the postponement of the Judicial Commission meeting scheduled for February 10. The statement also condemned the PECA Act, calling it an attack on free speech.
Yesterday, the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification about the judges’ transfer.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the move. The notification confirmed the transfer of Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar from the Lahore High Court, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro from the Sindh High Court, and Justice Muhammad Asif from the Balochistan High Court to the Islamabad High Court.
Also Read: Gazette notification issued for transfer of three judges to IHC
Justice Muhammad Asif was promoted to Additional Judge of the Balochistan High Court on January 20, 2025.
These transfers come amid concerns within the Islamabad High Court. The court opposes appointing its Chief Justice from another High Court. Islamabad High Court judges had earlier written to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi about their reservations.
