IHC finalises three nominees for judges’ vacancies

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration has put forward three candidates to fill three vacant judge positions, signaling a step towards resolving long-standing vacancies. The nominated individuals are District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, former Advocate General Islamabad Ayyaz Shaukat, and advocate Umair Majeed Malik. These names have now been sent to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for formal review.

The JCP, which met on June 19, had formally requested nominations from high courts for vacant judge positions, setting a July 4 deadline. The nominated candidates will undergo scrutiny under the recently approved 2026 rules. Several other prominent legal figures were considered, including tax law expert Usman G. Rashid Cheema and advocate Sultan Mazhar Sher Khan, alongside serving district and sessions judges like Shahrukh Arjumand and Humayun Dilawar.

This development occurs against a backdrop of significant lobbying by Islamabad's legal community. Representatives from various bar associations have been advocating for high court appointments to be made exclusively from lawyers based in the federal capital. They argue that, similar to provincial high courts, the IHC should prioritize local legal talent, emphasizing that "The Islamabad High Court belongs to Islamabad."

Furthermore, the lawyers' representatives have raised serious concerns regarding alleged corruption within the district judiciary and have called for comprehensive judicial reforms. The JCP's June 19 meeting also saw the approval of new rules for judge appointments and criteria for constitutional benches, including the establishment of a seven-member interview panel to vet candidates for the superior judiciary.

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The Islamabad High Court belongs to Islamabad, and appointments should be made from the Islamabad Bar.