Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court has established a five-point standard operating procedure (SOP) to safeguard the judiciary from external interference.
This SOP mandates that the Prime Minister’s Office, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and all civil and military agencies must avoid contacting any judge of the Supreme Court, High Court, or subordinate judiciary, as well as their staff, in the future.
Justice Karim’s decision arose from a suo motu notice he took in response to pressure exerted on an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge in Sargodha. He transformed the suo motu notice into a writ petition and issued a detailed four-page interim written order.
The interim order asserts that converting the suo motu notice into a writ petition is crucial for establishing guidelines to protect the judiciary’s independence.
Additionally, the order instructs the Inspector General (IG) of Punjab to ensure that all police officers refrain from directly contacting any judge of the Supreme Court, High Court, or subordinate judiciary concerning the merits of any pending case.
Non-compliance with these directives will result in contempt of court proceedings.
This landmark ruling by Justice Karim marks a significant move towards maintaining judicial independence and shielding judges from undue pressure.
The SOP sets forth explicit guidelines for all government agencies and individuals, ensuring that the judiciary operates without external interference.
