A six-member panel of the Supreme Court is scheduled to convene today to address the suo moto case regarding the concerns raised in a letter by Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, alleging interference from intelligence agencies in their judicial duties. This development was reported by Dunya News.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa will lead the bench, which includes Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
The petition urging the Supreme Court’s intervention was filed by six members of the Pakistan Bar Council, along with representatives from the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and Balochistan High Court Bar Association, as well as individuals such as Aitzaz Ahsan, Mian Dawood, and Sardar Shahbaz Ali Khosa.
These petitioners have called for a judicial inquiry, to be conducted by Supreme Court judges, into the allegations outlined in the letter dated March 25 by six IHC judges: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz.
The letter addressed to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) expressed concerns over purported “interference” and “intimidation” by individuals affiliated with intelligence agencies, seeking guidance on how to address this issue within the framework of judicial functions.
Responding to the gravity of the situation, the Supreme Court initiated suo moto proceedings on April 3. It underscored the importance of the matter by highlighting a meeting with the Prime Minister.
Furthermore, the apex court has invited input from key stakeholders in the judicial system, including the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association, high courts, and the federal government, to address concerns regarding the independence of the judiciary.
