TERENCE J SIGAMONY

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the IHC Practice and Procedure Rules by a majority of 6-5, but unanimously agreed upon an agenda item concerning the powers of family court judges.

According to sources, the full court meeting held here on Wednesday with Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar in the chair to review the court’s performance, discuss administrative affairs, and approve the IHC Rules. The meeting lasted 35 minutes, and according to the sources, difference of opinion was seen among the judges on mnay issues.

The sources said CJ Dogar, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, Justice Azam Khan, Justice Muhammad Asif, and Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas voted in favour of the rules. However, Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz opposed them.

The dissenting judges wanted to defer the approval of the rules for a considerable time so all the judges could examine them thoroughly. However, CJ Dogar turned down their request.

The sources privy to the development said that the approval was granted without any discussion on the agenda items. Despite the divide on procedural rules, the meeting approved the first two agenda items unanimously; first concerning the powers of the family court judge and the other regarding various issues of the IHC building. All the judges agreed to refer the building matters to the federal government for resolution.

The meeting did not consider the letters of Justice Babar and Justice Ejaz, which demanded amendments to the meeting’s agenda.

A day ago, Justice Babar wrote a four-page letter to CJ Islamabad High Court and sent its copies to the IHC judges and the Registrar, questioning ‘judicial anomalies’, including the fixation of cases and exclusion of senior judges in the administration committees of the IHC.

In his two-page letter addressed to the IHC Chief Justice, Justice Sardar Ejaz alleged that all his “brethren Judges have submissively reconciled to the concept of a Judiciary kowtowing to the executive”.

Justice Babar began his letter by appreciating the convening of the Full Court meeting, saying, “This is a long overdue but welcome step toward correcting the illegalities that have seeped into the administration of Islamabad High Court and bringing the function of our court in consonance with the requirements prescribed by the Constitution and the High Court Practice and Procedure Rules.”