Pakistan Supreme Court takes suo moto notice of IHC judges letter case

Islamabad: Pakistan Supreme Court has taken a suo moto notice of the case related to a letter of six sitting judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), accusing the country’s intelligence agencies of harassing, threatening, blackmailing and interfering in judicial matters and decision makings.

The notice comes after the legal fraternity spread across the country asserted pressure on the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo-moto notice.

The SC decision comes after at least 300 members of the legal fraternity joined hands and announced their backing for the six IHC judges. The legal fraternity called on the highest court to take immediate notice of the case as it relates to interference in judicial affairs by the state’s intelligence agencies.

The legal fraternity said that such interferences are a clear violation under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.

The legal fraternity also rejected the formation of a one-member inquiry commission under former Supreme Court Chief Justice Tasaddaq Jillani, insisting that the matter’s seriousness and sensitivity is more critical and warrants a suo moto by the Chief Justice instead of a former judge-headed commission.

“Any inquiry into the matter undertaken under the purview of the federal government violates the very principles that the inquiry seeks to protect and uphold. We note that such inquiry commission and its proceedings would be entirely wanting in credibility,” read the public letter signed by at least 300 lawyers.

“We endorse the resolutions passed by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, the Islamabad Bar Association, the Sindh High Court Bar Association, the Pakistan Bar Council, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and the Balochistan Bar Council to the extent that they resolve to uphold the principle of independence of judiciary, express solidarity with the six judges of the Islamabad High Court, commend their courageous action and demand appropriate action to uphold such principles,” the letter added.

The letter of the six sitting judges details alarming details shared by each of the judges, detailing how they are subjected to harassment, intimidation, torture, and illegal surveillance other than direct contacts by operatives of the intelligence agencies and interference in judicial matters.

Apparently, it seems that the judiciary is not ready to bow down to the powerful influence of the military establishment and is also ready to fight it out legally.