LHC judge Kayani resigns; reports differ on Rawalpindi posting

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has resigned as a Lahore High Court judge, Geo News reported, in an account that sits at odds with a Dawn report that the senior judge had instead been posted to the court's Rawalpindi registry in a reshuffle.

Geo News reported the resignation with sources citing "personal reasons", and published the item as a developing story, saying it would be updated with further details. The channel did not say when the resignation was submitted or took effect, whether it had been accepted, or where Justice Kayani would serve next.

Dawn reported that Justice Kayani had returned to the twin cities after a reshuffle at the Lahore High Court, according to the court's duty roster for November and December 2026, and that he would preside over a single bench at the Rawalpindi registry. He hails from Islamabad; Islamabad and Rawalpindi are traditionally referred to as the twin cities.

According to Dawn, Justice Kayani was transferred to the Lahore High Court in April this year and assigned to its principal seat in Lahore, and although he is a senior judge of the court he was not assigned to any division bench. The report said the new roster listed three judges; its text as published was cut off at that point.

The two accounts differ on Justice Kayani's position at the court, and neither report referred to the other. It was not immediately clear whether the Rawalpindi posting had been superseded by the resignation, or whether the resignation came before or after the roster was drawn up.

A division bench, which ordinarily hears appeals and heavier matters, is staffed by two or more judges, while a single bench sits alone. The Rawalpindi registry is one of the Lahore High Court's circuit seats, and the court is the high court for Punjab.

Neither Dawn nor Geo News gave a date for the resignation or identified the sources by name. Skardu Times could not independently confirm either account.