ISLAMABAD:
President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday appointed chief justices for all four provincial high courts, following the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).
According to identical notifications issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the appointments were made under Clause (1) of Article 193 of the Constitution, which outlines the procedure for appointing high court judges. The appointments will take effect from the date the respective justices take their oath of office.
The newly appointed chief justices are:
- Justice Sarfraz Dogar – Chief Justice, Islamabad High Court
- Justice Rozi Khan Barrech – Chief Justice, Balochistan High Court
- Justice Syed Muhammad Attique Shah – Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court
- Justice Junaid Ghaffar – Chief Justice, Sindh High Court
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan had held four consecutive meetings last week to deliberate on the appointments. In each meeting, the majority of members supported confirming the acting chief justices to continue in their respective roles as permanent heads of their courts.
The oath-taking ceremonies are expected later this week. President Zardari will personally administer the oath to Justice Sarfraz Dogar at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (Presidency), while the respective provincial governors will officiate the swearing-in of the other three chief justices.
