IHC declares plea against Justice Saman Rifat Imtiaz's appointment as non-admissible

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday has declared a petition challenging the appointment of Justice Suman Rifat Imtiaz as a judge as non-admissible, observing that such petitions reflect a trend of undermining the independence and dignity of the judiciary

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2026) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday has declared a petition challenging the appointment of Justice Suman Rifat Imtiaz as a judge as non-admissible, observing that such petitions reflect a trend of undermining the independence and dignity of the judiciary.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued a written judgment after hearing the petition filed by Advocate Kulsoom Khaleq, along with objections raised by the Registrar's Office.

The Registrar's Office had raised objections to the petition against Justice Suman Rifat Imtiaz. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir maintained the objections on the judicial side as well.

In its written judgment, the court stated, "The trend of undermining the independence and dignity of the judiciary is deeply regrettable.

The petition contains highly defamatory, baseless, and unsubstantiated allegations against a sitting judge."

The court observed that the allegations leveled against the sitting judge prima facie fall within the category of contempt of court. The accusations pertain to judicial proceedings or the conduct of the judge, the judgment noted.

"Different forums exist for appeals against judicial decisions. Investigation into an alleged misconduct of a judge is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Judicial Council," the court held.

The IHC ruled that a contempt petition against a judge is not admissible and maintained the objections.

It is pertinent to note that Justice Suman Rifat Imtiaz has since been transferred from the Islamabad High Court to the Sindh High Court.