Judicial Commission Finalizes Permanent Chief Justices for Peshawar, Balochistan, Sindh, and Islamabad High Courts

Islamabad – The Judicial Commission of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, has finalized appointments for permanent Chief Justices of the Peshawar, Balochistan, Sindh, and Islamabad High Courts.
According to Express News, the commission met under the leadership of Justice Yahya Afridi to consider nominees for permanent appointments.
Peshawar High Court
The commission considered Justice S.M. Atiq Shah, Justice Ejaz Anwar, and Justice Arshad Ali for the position of Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court. After deliberations, Justice S.M. Atiq Shah was selected for the post.
Balochistan High Court
For the Balochistan High Court, the names of Justice Rozi Khan, Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan, and Justice Iqbal Ahmed Kasi were under review. Justice Rozi Khan, being the senior-most judge, was appointed as the permanent Chief Justice.
Sindh High Court
The Judicial Commission unanimously approved Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar as the permanent Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court. Justice Ghaffar was already at the top of the seniority list in the Sindh High Court.
Islamabad High Court
In the case of Islamabad High Court, the commission reviewed the candidacies of Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. Eventually, the commission decided by majority vote to appoint Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar as the permanent Chief Justice. Justice Dogar also holds the top position in the seniority list.
Sources revealed the vote breakdown:
In favor of Justice Sarfraz Dogar: 9 votes, including those from Justice Aminuddin Khan, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Pakistan Bar Council representative Ahsan Bhoon, Senator Farooq H. Naek, MNA Sheikh Aftab, MNA Rana Tanveer, minority commission member Roshan Brosha, and retired Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
In favor of Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb: 4 votes, including Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Senator Ali Zafar, Barrister Gohar, and IHC Bar Association member Zulfiqar Abbasi.
In favor of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani: 2 votes, from Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.
Justice Jamal Mandokhail did not vote for any nominee.
Remarks from Senator Ali Zafar
PTI’s Judicial Commission member Senator Ali Zafar, speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, reiterated his stance that the senior-most judge should be appointed as Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court. He emphasized that the issue of judicial seniority in the IHC is still pending an intra-court appeal and should not have been considered until a final verdict is issued.
Despite his reservations, Senator Zafar indicated that if his recommendations were not accepted, he would cast his vote accordingly—though he did not disclose whom he voted for.