TTAP sounds alarm over plan to transfer five IHC judges

ISLAMABAD: Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a coalition of opposition parties, on Friday sounded the alarm over a ‘controversial’ plan to transfer five judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), warning that the move could fatally undermine judicial independence. In a show of defiance, TTAP, in tandem with bar associations nationwide, vowed to resist the proposed reshuffle, framing it as a coordinated battle to protect the judiciary from political interference. Talking to reporters, TTAP vice-chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar did not mince words, questioning Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi’s dedication to upholding constitutional and human rights, and branding the transfers as blatant, arbitrary meddling. READ MORE: Transfer of five judges: CJP rejects IHC CJ’s request to convene JCP meeting “The proposed relocations will strike a serious blow to judicial independence, ” Khokhar said, denouncing the move as a “reprehensible attempt to subject independent judges to the whims of the government. ” He said that TTAP, alongside multiple lawyers’ associations, plans a high-level consultative session ahead of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meeting on April 28 to coordinate a united front. Reports indicate that five IHC judges – Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro – could be moved to provincial high courts, with some returning to their home provinces and others potentially reassigned to Lahore and Peshawar. The reshuffle follows the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, which grants the JCP authority to transfer judges without their consent, overturning the long-standing practice of requiring judge approval for inter-court moves. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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