Pakistan Bar urges SC to constitute full court over IHC judges’ letter
ISLAMABAD, (NNI): Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) members including Abid Zuberi Friday appealed to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to form the full court to hear the suo moto notice of the letter written by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges complaining of “meddling” by intelligence agencies in judicial matters.
The members of the Pakistan Bar Council have also applied to the Supreme Court to become a party in the suo moto case of the six judges' letter.
In the application, the members of the Bar Council have said that the High Court judges should be made a party in the six judges' letter case.
The PBC members have said that the full court comprising all the judges should hear the case and secret agencies should be prevented from interfering in judicial affairs.
The PBC members also appealed in the application that the Judicial Council should be ordered to issue instructions on the reservations of the judges of the Islamabad High Court.
It is also stated in the application that the independence of the judiciary is related to fundamental rights, and for the independence of the judiciary and the provision of justice, it is necessary to investigate the letters of the judges.
On March 25, six Islamabad High Court judges — out of a total strength of eight — wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members regarding attempts to pressurise judges through abduction and torture of their relatives as well as secret surveillance.
The letter was signed by judges Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz and addressed to the CJP and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar as well as the top judges of the Peshawar High Court and the IHC.
On Saturday last, the federal cabinet had approved the constitution of an inquiry commission headed by ex-chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to probe allegations of interference by intelligence agencies in judicial affairs, the body has been authorised to “recommend action” against anyone from the intelligence agency, department, or government if found guilty. But the nominated commission head Justice Retired Tassaduq Hussain Jillani refused to lead the commission.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa took suo motu notice regarding the six judges' letter on last Monday, a day after over 300 lawyers had urged the Supreme Court to take notice of allegations of interference in the judiciary by the intelligence apparatus under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, adding any government-led commission “would be bereft of necessary independence and powers” to probe the claims.
Justice Isa constituted a sevenjudge larger bench on the issue of judges’ letter. The other six members of the larger bench are Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.