PHC judges’ strength to reach 17 as two more recommended

PESHAWAR: The total number of Peshawar High Court (PHC) judges will reach 17 after the appointment of two new judges recently recommended by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.

However, the PHC is still short of three judges as the sanctioned posts are 20.The Judicial Commission of Pakistan on Monday recommended appointments of two additional judges, District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and senior Supreme Court lawyer Muhammad Ishtiaq Ibrahim, for the PHC.

The Judicial Commission discussed the appointments of five additional judges in the PHC and four in Balochistan High Court. Chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamali, the meeting was attended by four senior judges of the apex court and a representative of the Pakistan Bar Council.

The Judicial Commission was constituted under the 18th Amendment in the Constitution and it will send the names recommended for the PHC and Balochistan High Court to the Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment for approval.

Born in a family of Swabi on April 15, 1962, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan received his early education from the Cadet College Kohat and FG College for (Men) No.1 Islamabad. He obtained graduation from Khyber Law College, University of Peshawar, in May 1984 with distinction as gold medallist/presidential award winner. He was a practising lawyer both of the Peshawar High Court as well as subordinate courts for eight years. He also served as a lecturer at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, and the Khyber Law College, University of Peshawar.

He joined the judiciary on November 1, 1993 and started his judicial career as additional district and sessions judge. He remained additional district and sessions judge Kohat, Charsadda, Mansehra, Peshawar and Haripur. Currently, he is serving as district and sessions judge Mardan.

Earlier, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan served as district and sessions judge Shangla, Dera Ismail Khan and Hangu. He had also served at the Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Muhammad Ibrahim Khan also served as judge of special courts in the province. Before his posting and transfer as district and sessions judge Mardan, he was administrative judge of Accountability Courts, Peshawar. He also remained the Labour Court Judge, Haripur, and Anti-Terrorism Court Judge in Peshawar and Abbottabad.

Muhammad Ishtiaq Ibrahim, who has also been recommended as additional PHC judge, is a senior Supreme Court lawyer. Born in a family of Khazana village near Peshawar on December 2, 1969, he received his early education from the University Public School, Peshawar.

He did his graduation from the Government College, Peshawar, and got a law degree from the University of Peshawar in 1992. He was enrolled as an advocate of the lower courts in 1993, the high court in 1995 and Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2008.

Talking to The News, Ishtiaq Ibrahim said that he has specialty in cases of criminal nature. He said he dealt with all types of cases when he was serving as additional advocate general, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Ishtiaq Ibrahim also remained the joint secretary PHC Bar Association in 1999, secretary general in 2009 and president of the PHC Bar in 2012. He played an active role in the 2007 lawyers’ movement for restoration of judiciary and was also arrested and detained for one month. He remained assistant advocate general in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General (AG) office from 1999 to 2000 and additional advocate general from 2008-2010.