Justice Sarfraz Dogar on Tuesday took oath as the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr and attended by top government officials and members of the legal fraternity.
President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath to Justice Dogar, who has been elevated to the top judicial position at a time when the judiciary remains at the centre of several high-profile legal and constitutional challenges.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and a number of senior lawyers and judges were present at the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, President Zardari extended his best wishes to the newly appointed Chief Justice, expressing hope that Justice Dogar would uphold the values of impartiality and transparency in strengthening the judicial system.
Justice Dogar's appointment comes amid increasing calls for judicial reforms and greater institutional accountability. He replaces Justice Aamer Farooq, who retired earlier this year.
Earlier, similar oath-taking ceremonies were held in Karachi and Peshawar for the newly appointed Chief Justices of the Sindh and Peshawar High Courts respectively.
In Karachi, Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court. Governor Kamran Tessori administered the oath during a ceremony that was notably held at the same location where Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had taken oath as the first Governor-General of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in Peshawar, Justice SM Atiq Shah was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court. Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, federal ministers, and other senior officials in attendance.
Governor Kundi congratulated Justice Atiq Shah and expressed hope that he would serve with integrity and work towards enhancing the efficiency and credibility of the province’s judicial system.
