ISLAMABAD: The sudden and complete withdrawal of official protocol and domestic facilities for two prominent judges following their transfer from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ignited significant debate within legal circles.
On Monday, as Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Babar Sattar assumed their new charges at the Lahore High Court and Peshawar High Court respectively, the IHC administration moved to immediately recall all judicial perks from their residences.
حیران کن خبر : جسٹس محسن اختر کیانی جو لاہور ہائیکورٹ جا چکے اور جسٹس بابر ستار جو پشاور ہائیکورٹ جا چکے ان کی فیملیز جہاں اسلام آباد کی عدلیہ کی جانب سے پہلے سے دئیے جانے والے گھروں میں موجود تھیں ان سے ہائیکورٹ کی گاڑی ، ڈرائیور ، کک ، خانسامے ، مالی ، گارڈ سب اس وقت پیر کو ہی…
— Saqib Bashir (@saqibbashir156) May 7, 2026
According to Islamabad reporters, the families of both judges—who continue to reside in their official Islamabad quarters—were left without essential support systems overnight. The withdrawn facilities encompassed all high court-provided amenities, including official security guards, chauffeur-driven vehicles, and domestic staff such as cooks, butlers, and gardeners.
In a particularly striking development, reports surfaced that official vehicles dispatched to transport family members or collect children were ordered to return to the motor pool mid-journey, even before they could pick up the passengers for their return trips.
The timing and manner of this withdrawal have caused a considerable stir among the legal fraternity.
Court reporters note that even retired judges are typically granted a specified grace period to retain certain facilities during their transition. In this instance, however, the measures were applied to Justice Kayani and Justice Sattar while they remain active, serving members of the judiciary.
The IHC Registrar’s Office has maintained a firm stance, asserting that the actions taken were strictly in accordance with law and service regulations. The administration’s position is that once these judges were transferred to other high courts, they became entitled to exactly the same facilities from their new jurisdictions, making the continuation of IHC-provided perks redundant under the law.
Meanwhile, the transition of Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz followed a different trajectory. It is reported that she has already joined the Sindh High Court after formally returning all assigned staff and her official vehicle to the Islamabad High Court, completing her transfer process ahead of the current controversy.
