Supreme Court Petitions Seek Full Court Probe into Judicial Interference Allegations
Lawyers’ bodies, including the Balochistan Bar Council and Balochistan High Court Bar Association, have petitioned the Supreme Court for the constitution of a full court to investigate allegations of intelligence agency interference in judicial matters.
The petitioners have called for the annulment of the one-man commission appointed by the government to probe these allegations and have requested the apex court’s guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future.
The petitions come as a seven-member SC bench prepares to resume hearing the suo motu case initiated on the basis of a letter sent by Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges to the Supreme Judicial Council. The letter alleges interference in judicial affairs by intelligence agencies.
The SC had taken suo motu notice of the judges’ letter and had earlier formed a one-man commission to investigate the allegations. However, former Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani recused himself from heading the commission, and Justice Yahya Afridi, who was also part of the SC bench, subsequently recused himself from the suo motu case.
During the first hearing of the case, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa stated that the apex court will not tolerate any interference in judicial affairs and that the letter by IHC judges is being taken “very seriously.” The Chief Justice also hinted that the suo motu case might be heard by a full court in the future.
In a related development, the IHC’s full court meeting has unanimously decided to give an “institutional response” to any attempts at interference in the court’s affairs.
