In a dramatic turn, the Supreme Court on Monday returned petitions filed by five Islamabad High Court judges, challenging the use of administrative powers by their Chief Justice and the order restraining Justice Tariq Jahangiri from judicial duties. The Registrar’s Office raised objections, holding that the pleas under Article 184(3) did not demonstrate any infringement of fundamental rights or a matter of public interest. Instead, they appeared to stem from personal grievances, which the Court has previously ruled inadmissible in the Zulfiqar Mehdi vs. PIA case.
The petitioners—Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Saman Rafat Imtiaz, and Ejaz Ishaq Khan—had accused their Chief Justice of misusing administrative authority. They argued that restraining a judge from duties is permissible only under Article 209, and that no division bench can assume appellate jurisdiction over a single bench’s orders. They further sought clarity that a high court cannot issue a writ to itself under Article 199.
The petitions were returned on grounds of lacking legal substance, failing to meet Article 184(3) requirements, and not clearly identifying the respondents. Separately, Justice Jahangiri has filed a Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal against the restraining order, while Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar’s plea under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 was also returned for similar deficiencies.
