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March 29, 2024
Calls for Probe into Letter on ‘Brazen Meddling’ in Judicial Affairs
Islamabad: Calls emerged from various quarters on Wednesday for a probe into allegations made by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges against interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence apparatus.
Amid the calls, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa summoned a full court meeting of the apex court’s judges, with the session lasting a little over two hours.
On Tuesday, six IHC judges — out of a total strength of eight — wrote a startling letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, regarding attempts to pressure judges through abduction and torture of their relatives as well as secret surveillance inside their homes.
The letter addressed to SJC members — CJP Isa, Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar and IHC CJ Aamer Farooq and Peshawar High Court CJ Mohammad Ibrahim Khan — also questioned if there existed a state policy to “intimidate” and coerce judges.
The six judges also supported the demand of former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui for a probe into the allegations of interference by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said Tuesday that the allegations required “serious actions by the judiciary as an institution”.
In a press release, SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat took “serious exception to the undue interference” claimed by the judges.
“Such issues should be addressed in a befitting manner and any apprehensions/ misgivings which might be in the minds of honorable judges should be adequately addressed,” he said.
It declared “unequivocally that bar associations, particularly the SCBA, will not tolerate any incidents aimed at undermining the independence, integrity, authority and functioning of judicial institutions”.
In an open letter, SCBA Additional Secretary Sardar Shahbaz Ali Khosa urged CJP Isa to take suo motu notice of the matter under Article 184(3) of the Constitution and conduct a “thorough and transparent (live) hearing” of the case.
He also highlighted a “recent crackdown on journalists and media outlets who have reported on these alleged interferences” and urged CJP Isa to summon prominent journalists across Pakistan to detail the “extent of interference and coercion that the free press is being meted to on an everyday basis”.
The SCBA official further called for a meeting of the SJC to be convened on the issue and “not only ascertain the way forward but also fix responsibilities”.
The IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) demanded the CJP to hold a “transparent inquiry” into the matter and that legal action be taken against those involved. In a press release, the association said its cabinet held an emergency meeting. The lawyers’ body “strongly condemned the interference of one institution into the matters of another institution”.
It further demanded that the “judiciary ensure independent decisions according to the law and the Constitution without fear or danger”. It also commended the six IHC judges for their “courage and bravery”.
The association said that if needed, it would prove to be a vanguard for the judiciary’s independence and “would take every step needed for the supremacy of the Constitution and the law”.
“The IHCBA would not even hesitate from holding a lawyers representative convention, countrywide lawyers convention, strike, hunger strike and running a movement if needed for the judiciary’s independence,” it asserted.
The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) demanded “immediate action against those intelligence agencies and personnel involved in such nefarious activities and [that] they be punished for undermining and subverting of the Constitution and the law”…
The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) demanded that a judicial commission comprising three SC judges be formed to “investigate and probe the allegations and take firm steps to stop such interference”…
The Balochistan Bar Council also called on CJP Isa to take a suo motu notice of the allegations. In a press release, the council expressed its concerns over the matter and said the alleged interference in judicial matters was “condemnable and unacceptable in any circumstances”…
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council (KPBC) also expressed “concern and reservation” over the alleged judicial interference described in the judges’ letter.
In a statement issued today, KPBC Vice-Chairman Sadiq Ali Mohmand deemed the IHC judges’ letter “a worrisome development” and added that “interference in judicial affairs by secret agencies is condemnable.” - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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