The Supreme Court on Saturday announced several appointments at high administrative levels "aimed at ensuring operational continuity and advancing reform within the administrative framework of the Court". According to an official statement, Sohail Mohammad Laghari, currently Secretary of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), has been appointed SC Registrar for deputation to BS-22. Laghari is originally a district and sessions judge in the lower courts working under the Sindh High Court (SHC) and was previously the Registrar of the SHC. "[He] brings with him extensive experience in judicial management and institutional administration," said the press release. Laghari replaced SC registrar Muhammad Salim Khan, who resigned from the post on October 30, citing personal reasons after completing his 45-day leave. In another appointment, Fakhar Zaman, district and sessions judge of Peshawar High Court (PHC), has been appointed as Director General (Reforms) of SC on deputation also to BS-22. He is currently serving as Additional Registrar (Administration) in the Supreme Court. According to the release, Zaman brings more than three decades of experience in institutional reforms, policy innovation and judicial training. The SJC Secretariat has requisitioned the services of Abid Rizwan Abid, District and Sessions Judge of the Lahore High Court, to appoint him as SJC Secretary (BS-22) on deputation. Muhammad Abbas Zaidi, currently Deputy Registrar (Judicial) in BS-20, has been given the current charge of Additional Registrar (Judicial) (BS-21). Zulfikar Ahmed, a Deputy Registrar posted as Registrar Officer of SC Branch, Karachi, has been given the current charge of Additional Registrar (BS-21) in the same Registry. Mohammad Safdar Mehmood, a Deputy Registrar posted as Registrar Officer of SC Branch, Lahore, has been given the present charge of Additional Registrar in the same Registrar. Mujahid Mehmood, a Deputy Registrar of SC Branch Registrar in Peshawar, has been given the current charge of Additional Registrar in the same Registrar. Fawad Ahmad, a Deputy Registrar, has been given the present charge of an Additional Registrar and Sohail Ahmad, a Deputy Registrar (Administration) in BS-20, has been given the present charge of an Additional Registrar (Administration) in BS-21.
"These appointments reaffirm the Supreme Court’s commitment to institutional reform, effective service delivery and strengthening administrative structures that support the administration of justice," said the press release. Former Registrar’s Premature Retirement After nearly a year of service, Muhammad Salim Khan resigned from his post as Registrar of the Supreme Court last week. He submitted his resignation citing personal reasons. However, there are reports that some Supreme Court judges were unhappy with him. According to an SC notification, Khan had gone on leave from September 16 to October 30 for private reasons. Khan had taken over as SC registrar on November 5 last year. A senior official said the registrar was appointed for a three-year term. "Suddenly taking 45 days off and now resigning shows that things weren’t going well," added the official.
