ISLAMABAD – Five judges from the Islamabad High Court have submitted an intra-court appeal to the Supreme Court, challenging its recent verdict on the judges’ transfer case.

The appeal was filed by senior lawyer Munir A. Malik on behalf of the five judges. It requests that the Supreme Court declare its June 19 ruling in the transfer case null and void. The appeal also asks the court to suspend the implementation of the verdict until a decision is made on the appeal.

Earlier, a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, had delivered its decision on the transfer of judges, declaring the transfers constitutional. The bench ruled in a 3-2 majority to dispose of the petitions filed against the judges’ transfers.

The bench included Justice Shahid Bilal, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, and Justice Shakeel Ahmed. Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shakeel Ahmed dissented from the majority opinion.

The ruling remanded two key matters to the President of Pakistan: whether the transfers are permanent or temporary, and the issue of seniority for the transferred judges. Until the President makes a decision, Justice Sarfaraz Dogar will continue to serve as the acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court.