Two Islamabad High Court judges, Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Sardar Ejaz, have raised serious concerns over judicial practices and administrative transparency, just hours before a full court meeting chaired by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar.

The high-level meeting, attended by all IHC judges, was set to review service rules, practice and procedure rules, the powers of family judges, and ongoing issues linked to the construction of the court building. However, the letters written by the two judges shifted the spotlight to deeper questions about independence, fairness, and accountability within the judiciary.

In a detailed four-page letter, Justice Babar Sattar asked whether the Islamabad High Court was fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities and if citizens still saw it as a true protector of fundamental rights.

He highlighted a lack of transparency in case allocation and the preparation of rosters, pointing out that senior judges were being sidelined while additional judges were being assigned important matters. “In exercising administrative powers, should judges and the Chief Justice not remember that they are not kings but public officials?” Justice Sattar questioned.

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The letter also criticized the refusal of the court office to issue cause lists in certain cases, arguing that such practices undermine judicial independence. He further opposed the mandatory requirement of obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs) for judges to travel abroad, calling it a violation of basic rights.

Justice Sardar Ejaz, in his letter released just hours before the full court meeting, expressed frustration over the handling of the Practice and Procedure Rules. While the Gazette notification had already been issued, judges were only given the rules for feedback a day and a half before the meeting.

“It seems the full court meeting has been convened merely as a formality,” he wrote, adding that any steps taken under such rules without full court approval could be deemed unlawful.

Justice Ejaz also flagged the exclusion of senior judges from the administrative committee, calling it a matter that must be addressed. Like Justice Sattar, he strongly opposed the NOC requirement for judges’ foreign travel, questioning whether the Chief Justice should have the power to decide how judges spend their holidays.

“It takes decades to build institutions, but it takes no time to destroy them,” Justice Sattar warned in his letter.