The Supreme Court, on Monday, took suo motu notice of a letter submitted by judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), alleging interference by intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.
As per Geo News, a seven-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, is set to commence hearings on Wednesday.
Alongside Chief Justice Isa, the bench comprises Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Yahya Afridi, Athar Minallah, Mussarat Hilali, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan. The letter, which surfaced recently, prompted a crisis, compelling the Supreme Court to address the issue under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
Notably, over 300 lawyers from various bar associations nationwide supported the judges’ stance, urging the apex court to intervene using its suo motu powers. The IHC judges, including Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz, addressed the letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), urging a judicial convention to discuss alleged intelligence agency interference in judicial matters.
This development follows the Supreme Court’s declaration of the unlawful removal of former IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, directing his reinstatement as a retired judge. The verdict highlighted the SJC’s treatment of Justice Siddiqui’s allegations as irrelevant and noted his failure to substantiate them independently.
In response to the letter’s emergence, Chief Justice Isa convened a full court meeting of the Supreme Court on March 27, seeking guidance from the SJC regarding judges’ obligations in reporting and responding to executive interference in their official duties.
Subsequently, Chief Justice Isa met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by the law minister, attorney general, senior puisne judge, and the apex court registrar. Following the meeting, the government decided to establish an inquiry commission, with former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice (retired) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani appointed as its head, to investigate the allegations raised by the IHC judges.
