Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court has raised serious objections over recent amendments made to the Islamabad High Court Rules 2025. In a letter addressed to Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar and all fellow judges of the high court, Justice Sattar questioned the legality and procedure of the changes made without convening a full court meeting. In the letter, Justice Sattar stated that the amendments were in violation of both the Constitution and legal protocols, as they were made without proper authority and due process.

He pointed out that the changes contravene Article 208 of the Constitution and the Lahore High Court Rules, which Islamabad High Court had previously adopted as a framework. Justice Sattar emphasized that under Article 192, the authority to frame rules lies solely with the Chief Justice and judges of the High Court. He asserted that this power cannot be delegated to any other entity or exercised through alternate methods.

“There is a well-settled principle that discretionary powers granted under a law cannot be transferred to anyone else without amending the law itself,” he wrote. He further noted that the gazette notification of the Islamabad High Court Rules 2025 had reached him, and he could not recall any full court meeting where the previous 2011 Rules were either repealed or even discussed. This, he argued, made the new rules legally invalid.

Justice Sattar warned that the rules introduced in 2025 were formulated without legal authority and stand in violation of Article 208. He urged immediate corrective measures, highlighting that such procedural missteps could adversely affect the rights of court employees and bring institutional embarrassment to the High Court. He concluded the letter by calling for swift rectification of the issue to prevent further legal complications and uphold the integrity of the judiciary.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)