Justice of the Islamabad High Court
Mohsin Akhtar Kayani (born 11 February 1970) is a Pakistani jurist who has been Justice of the Islamabad High Court since 22 December 2015.[1]
Early life and education
Kayani was born on 11 February 1970 in Islamabad.[1]
He completed his matriculation from F.G Boys High School in Islamabad, followed by his intermediate education in 1987 and graduation in 1989, both from F.G College for Men in Islamabad. He obtained his LLB degree from the University of Punjab in 1994, and pursued his M.A. in Political Science from the same university during 1995-1996. Subsequently, he earned his LLM degree from Karachi University between 2001 and 2003, and completed his M.Sc in Pakistan Studies in 2005.[1]
He also attained a Post Graduate Diploma from the University of Peshawar, in collaboration with the University of Oslo.[1]
Career
Kayani began his legal career by becoming an advocate of the District Courts on 18 June 1995, and advocate of the High Courts on 21 November 1997. Later, he was enrolled as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 19 June 2009.[1]
In addition to his legal career, he has been actively involved in bar association politics. He initially served as Joint Secretary and later as General Secretary of the Islamabad Bar Council from 1997 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2004, respectively. He also served as President of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association from 2014 to 2015.[1]
On 23 December 2015, he was appointed as a Judge of the Islamabad High Court.[1]
Controversies
Allegations of harassment by intelligence agencies
On 26 March 2024, six judges of the Islamabad High Court, including Kayani, wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan, alleging interference by the Inter-Services Intelligence in judicial matters. They cited instances of pressure on judges through the abduction and torture of their relatives and secret surveillance within their residences. Additionally, they questioned the existence of a state policy aimed at intimidating and coercing judges.[2] Subsequently, the next day, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa convened a full court session to investigate the accusations raised by the judges.[3]
References