IHC Registrar Directs Justice Babar Sattar to Vacate Islamabad Residence Following Allotment Cancellation

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar has issued a formal notice to Justice Babar Sattar, directing him to vacate his official residence in Islamabad within 30 days following the cancellation of his accommodation allotment.

The directive follows the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s decision on April 28 to transfer Justice Sattar from the IHC to the Peshawar High Court (PHC). Upon his transfer, Justice Sattar opted to maintain his residence in the federal capital rather than relocating to Peshawar to seek new official housing.

According to the notice, the Estate Office officially cancelled the allotment of the residence on July 3. The IHC registrar specified that the 30-day deadline for vacating the premises began on the date of the cancellation, meaning the residence must be vacated by August 3.

Sources indicate that Justice Sattar had previously informed the IHC administration of his intention to retain the Islamabad accommodation.

The allocation of official housing for superior court judges has been a recurring point of legal and administrative contention. Notably, in a 2023 judgment, Justice Sattar himself ruled that judges are entitled to official accommodation from the date of their appointment throughout their tenure, asserting that this entitlement is derived from presidential orders rather than the general accommodation rules governing federal government employees.

Reports suggest that officials visited Justice Sattar’s residence on Wednesday; however, they departed shortly after discovering the judge was on judicial leave and was not present at the time.

Source link