LHC judge Raheel Kamran resigns

Lahore High Court (LHC) Judge Muhammad Raheel Kamran Sheikh has resigned from office with immediate effect, saying his further development as a jurist and ability to contribute to the rule of law and access to justice would be better served through broader engagement with legal scholarship, policy research and comparative judicial practice.

Justice Raheel Kamran tendered his resignation to the President of Pakistan on September 3, 2026, with immediate effect, according to his resignation letter. A copy of the letter was also sent to the Registrar of the Lahore High Court.

In the letter, the judge made clear that his decision was not a rejection of his judicial career. Rather, he described his years on the bench as "the most formative and fulfilling" period of his professional life and said it had been an honour and privilege to serve in the office and contribute to the administration of justice in accordance with his oath and conscience.

Justice Raheel Kamran said that, following deep and sustained reflection, he had decided that stepping away from the bench would provide him an opportunity to broaden his professional engagement as a jurist.

Justice Muhammad Raheel Kamran Sheikh was appointed as a judge of the Lahore High Court on May 7, 2021. He had been due to retire in January 2036.

His resignation comes with immediate effect, formally bringing his tenure as a judge of the Lahore High Court to an end.

Justice Muhammad Raheel Kamran Sheikh was known as an outspoken judge and was appointed to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in May 2021 during the tenure of then-chief justice Gulzar Ahmed. He is the son of renowned lawyer Akram Sheikh.

Before his elevation to the bench, Sheikh was a member of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC). He had also filed petitions seeking greater transparency in the functioning of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).

His appointment to the LHC had reportedly faced strong opposition from a section within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government at the time.

It has been learnt that Sheikh had also raised his voice during a full court meeting for the early disposal of bail matters involving female political prisoners affiliated with the PTI. The meeting was held during the tenure of then-LHC Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan.