IHC judges’ letter: CJP summons full court session

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa has summoned a full court session on a letter written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court to convene the Supreme Judicial Council meeting over the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial matters.

Sources said that the full court session will review the letter of the judges. According to the sources, the full court session will be presided over by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa shortly.

Sources said that all judges of the Supreme Court will participate in the full court session.

The other day, six judges of the Islamabad High Court wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council regarding the alleged interference and pressure from intelligence agencies in the judges’ work.

The letter was written by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

The letter stated that as judges of the Islamabad High Court, they seek guidance from the Supreme Judicial Council regarding the interference by members of executive and intelligence agencies in the judges’ work and pressuring the judges.

The letter mentioned that this issue came to light as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, which declared the dismissal of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui in 2018 as wrong and illegal, stating that Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui should be considered a retired judge.

The letter also stated that the current code of conduct for judges is inadequate in guiding how to respond to the undermining of the judiciary’s independence by personnel from intelligence agencies, and it is extremely important to investigate whether the policy of the state’s interference in the judiciary’s work is still ongoing, which is enforced by the officers of the intelligence agency.

The letter also mentioned threatening incidents faced by the judges from intelligence agencies.

Earlier, a constitutional petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking an open court investigation into the letter written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court.

Advocate Mian Dawood filed the petition in the Supreme Court, requesting the formation of an empowered commission to conduct an inquiry into the matter.