Five IHC justices challenged the amended seniority list at the Supreme Court.

Five Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, whose submission against the seniority list was rejected by Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Aamer Farooq, have filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the amended seniority list, according to the 24NewsHD TV station.

Senior attorneys Munir A Malik and Barrister Salahuddin filed a case with the Supreme Court on Thursday.

The IHC justices have petitioned the Supreme Court to prevent Acting IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarafraz Dogar from functioning and declare that the President of the State does not have “unlimited powers” to remove judges.

They claimed that judges may only be moved from one high court to another if it was in the public interest.

The five justices petitioned the Supreme Court to prevent the other two transferred judges in the IHC from operating.

The justices had already submitted a submission against placing Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar, who was moved from the Lahore High Court to the IHC, at the top of the seniority list.

A week ago, Justice Farooq rejected a representation filed by five judges opposing changes in judicial seniority, upholding the seniority list revised following the transfer of judges from three provincial high courts and paving the way for the nomination of Justice Dogar for the chief justice’s position, which will become vacant following the elevation of CJ Justice Aamer Farooq to the Supreme Court.

Justice Dogar first took oath as a high court judge in June 2015.

The ruling confirmed that judges moved from provincial high courts did not require a new oath since there is a distinction between judicial appointments and transfers.