Spy agencies’ interference in IHC matters to be probed
Tarar says govt will place a leter from six IHC judges alleging interference in judicial affairs by the intelligence apparatus for consideration before the federal cabinet to constitute an inquiry commission
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Thursday that a one-man commission of inquiry was being formed to look into the allegations of interference of spy agencies in the maters of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Flanked by Atorney General Mansoor Awan, Tarar told a news conference that the federal government would place a leter from six IHC judges alleging interference in judicial affairs by the intelligence apparatus for consideration before the federal cabinet to constitute an inquiry commission.
Tarar addressed a press conference following a meeting of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on the later’s desire.
Tarar and Awan were also present during the meeting, which was also atended by senior judge Mansoor Ali Shah.
Ater the meeting, Justice Isa summoned a second full court meeting in as many days. The developments come a day ater the apex court held a full court meeting to take stock of allegations levelled by six IHC judges — out of a total strength of eight — against interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence apparatus.
The law minister said that there was a need to investigate the mater, adding it was decided that the government would place the judges’ leter before Friday’s federal cabinet session and the prime minister would strive for a neutral, non-partisan and retired legal personality to be requested to head an inquiry commission and submit a report ater investigating in accordance with the law.
He added that the premier also reassured that it was the government’s duty to ensure an investigation into the mater and that such allegations, if they were true, did not reoccur in the future.
“The prime minister point-blank said there will be no compromise on the independence of the judiciary.”
The minister explained that he and the attorney general would work on the initial terms of reference for the inquiry commission, adding that they would include a probe for not only the current controversy but also past events as far as the law or cabinet allowed. He further said that it was inappropriate to mention the names initially under consideration to head the commission since the cabinet had the authority over the mater. He said the body would be notified in two to four days ater Friday’s cabinet session.
The law minister said that Justice Isa had also agreed to the formation of an inquiry commission. He explained that there was already a mechanism present to investigate such maters which the federal government carried out and thus it was beter for a commission to investigate it instead of a suo motu notice.
On a question about whether the leter amounted to misconduct from the judges, Tarar said the answer to this should come from the commission.
He said the leter from the six IHC judges mentioned events “from the last year and with a regime which is no longer in the judicial corridors,” adding that most of the allegations in the leter concerned the “tenure of the former chief justice of Pakistan.”
He said Justice Isa had expressed a wish for the prime minister to have a talk with him on the mater and the later had readily agreed to prioritise the issue over all others due to the seriousness of the development.
Tarar said the meeting’s participants discussed the mater, as well as other important national affairs such as tax-related issues and fiscal maters.
“There was a discussion on different aspects of the mater at hand considering its seriousness and it was also discussed that this has not happened for the first time and such voices have been raised before in history as well,” the minister said, referring to the case of former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
The law minister said that the premier also reassured that Pakistan was a constitutional organism in which all institutions performed their roles while remaining within their domains.
“The premier reassured the chief justice and his judges that institutional interference should never happen and the government’s obligations in this regard will be fulfilled.”